Mer Prince
by WinterTurndra
Summary: Roxas is a Mer Prince, who has been born without a soul. He is left on land as a baby in hopes that he will obtain one, but to do so he must fall in love and marry a human. A knight named Axel may solve this, unless the sea witch puts a stop to it...
1. Chapter 1

Roxas, a mer-prince from the crystal palaces of the mer-people and water sprites, is sent to live in the human world when he is three years old. Unlike other mer-folk, who are born with half a soul, he is born without one at all. Fearing for the out come of their son's lively hood, his parents seek the help of a sea witch who grants him the ability to walk on the land as humans do for a period of time, in hopes that he shall marry a human and gain part of their soul. Roxas is found on a beach by a fisherman and his wife who have recently lost their own baby during a heavy storm. Hoping that Roxas could help to fill the void created by their loss, they adopt him, and bring him up as their own. They soon realise that Roxas, although hard working and respectful, seems void of emotion, showing no particular interest in anything or anyone, other then his work.

However, Axel, a knight from the exotic city of Undine, happens across Roxas after many days of wondering the enchanted forest, lost and in much need of rest. Fortune smiles upon the young boy, as Axel brings out a side of him that he never thought existed. Could he be the one to help Roxas out of his predicament? Unfortunately for the two potential soul mates, the sea witch, also having the ability of taking human form an living in land, also has her heart set on the knight, and plans to ensure that the little mer-prince does not gain a soul, to create possibilities for a devious plan of her own. When all goes terribly wrong, Roxas is taken away back to the ocean, never to see land again. Axel must find a way to rescue him, before the sea witch's plans are enforced, and he looses his Roxas forever.

A/N: Ok, I felt like reading a KH story based on mer-people, but unfortunately there were perhaps only two stories based on the subject, so I decided to write my own. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: In no way what so ever do I own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Axel, Roxas and Demyx (and perhaps Zexion) would be my husbands XD and I'd adopt Xigbar as a cool uncle XD

I apologise for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I'm terrible when it comes to those things, & I'm even worse when I'm typing so I'll keep checking every now & then & make changes as nessesary.

Chapter One- A Mother's Heart Break

The fisherman hummed happily to himself, his heart content. No greater joy could possibly lift his soul closer to the heavens as the joy which currently resided in his heart. He and his wife of many years had been blessed with a baby, and such a beautiful baby she was. Hair as golden as the summer sun crowned her little head. Her skin as fair as peach coloured rose petals. Her eyes were the most wondrous shade of blue. Clear and sparkling, just like the vast ocean which surrounded his home island. Although he was only a mere fisherman and his earnings were very little, he and his wife – although worried about only being able to provide her with a very simple home and lifestyle – in no way regretted the arrival of their perfect little miracle; They were determined to be the best parents that they could possibly be.

Still, the fisherman had a job to do, and fishing season seemed much too short when trying to earn enough money for supplies for the winter months before the harsh unforgiving weather set in. Therefore, despite his unwillingness to leave his young child so early, he gathered his things and prepared his boat for another trip out to sea. Now more then ever he knew the importance of catching and earning as much as he could in order to provide for his family. His understanding wife watched with a heavy heart as her husband's boat gradually disappeared into the horizon with her new born babe gently cooing in her arms, nestled in her little blanket. Although her husband had always come home, most of the time no worse for wear, there were still many fishermen who encountered rough seas whilst out on their journey and never returned; so naturally the fisherman's wife always fretted slightly whenever he left. This time it was more crucial then ever that he returned safely, otherwise who would provide for her and her daughter? The only city closest to their home island was still many, many miles away, and they had no horse to carry them.

The soft cooing in her arms made her feel a little better. One simply could not look at her innocent little face without feeling a warmth which washed away most of her worrisome thoughts.

Six months went by, and still the fisherman had not yet returned, but his daughter had grown to be even more beautiful, happy and strong then either of her parents could have hoped for. Her mother often walked her down to the pebbly shores of the beach, her baby rattling a bracelet that her mother had made for her out of sea shells, laughing softly at the chinking sound it made. Her mother would gaze out to sea, sighing sadly and praying to the spirits and all possibly deities out there for her husbands' safe return. It was also due to the fact that their daughter was growing fast, and she didn't want her husband to miss any more of their daughter's childhood then necessary.

Another six months went by, and their daughter's hair had grown longer and lovelier in her mother's eyes, just enough so that each gentle breath of the wind caused it to softly caress her face, catching glimmers of sunlight as it did so. Her eyes always sparkled whenever she laughed. She would walk the shores in the watchful eye of her mother, picking up shells and pebbles that caught her interest. One day, something hidden in the waters caught her little eye. The small child seemed memorised for a moment, laughing as she tried to reach out for the object of her new found interest, before her over protective mother pulled her back, fearful that she would fall into their depths and drown.

One particularly stormy night, the house rattled and groaned under the strength of the wind and the rain as it whipped around the house, causing the doors, walls and windows to tremble and creak in protest. The rain pounded the roof hard, almost as if rocks were falling from the sky rather then water. The fisherman's wife sat by the fire, trying to warm herself and her little girl; who sat on her lap playing with her shell bracelet, seemingly unnerved by the raging weather which attacked the house so. Suddenly a loud bang made the woman jump and look at the front door. The wind had somehow managed to force it open. Alarmed at the raging wind and rain that invaded her home attempting to diminish the fire – their main source of heat – the woman placed her child in the chair and hastily ran to close it. On doing so, she could have sworn that she heard strange eeri musical laughter, blown in on the wind. Deciding that she was hearing things she returned to her baby girl, who appeared to be transfixed staring out of the window at something unseen to her mother. As the woman moved closer, a crack of thunder lit up the sky, in a flash of light a white face appeared at the window, causing the woman to jump and give a startled scream, covering her mouth in shock. The apparation disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Had she just seen a ghostly face at the widow? And why had her daughter seemed so transfixed, showing no fear at all? The woman shuddered, hoping that these thoughts were merely over imaginative manifestations of her growing fear of the storm. Now more then ever she longed for the warm comforting arms of her husband around her.

She shuddered, taking her baby girl in her arms and huddled up in their blankets, and gradually she managed to fall asleep.

She woke the next day to find that the storm had died down, although it was still raining slightly. She also found that it was very cold in her house. The fire had long since died out. Sitting up, the woman looked for her daughter, who was no longer sleeping next to her. She instantly panicked, frantically looking around the room. Her daughter was no where to be seen, and what made matters worse was that the front door was open. Heart hammering against her chest, the woman wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, calling out for her little girl. Hearing no response, she ran outside. 'Surely she couldn't have wandered off by herself? She must be somewhere near by' she thought frantically, trying to ignore the strong sense of foreboding currently welling up inside her. It almost felt as though a large stone had dropped into her stomach. Tears ran down her face as she chocked back a sob, calling again an again for her little girl. The woman ran to a river which flowed near to their house, which lead down into an estuary before entering the sea. The river was swollen, over flowing the banks. The ground became marshier as she tried to keep moving forward. Suddenly she saw a familiar item just clinging to a rock on the edge of the river. The woman let out a devastated scream. It was her daughter's bracelet. She had been swallowed by the river. The rain fell harder as she cried, falling to her knees, shaking in shock and despair. Her baby girl was gone.

When the fisherman finally arrived home, after a hard and gruelling yet successful year away, he was truly heartbroken to learn that his daughter, his precious little girl with eyes as blue as the ocean, had drowned.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, a very short chapter two, but the story can really start to take place after this-lots of lovely Axel in the next chappie :p

A big Thank you to Saru813 for her lovely comment ^_^ reviews bring a smile to my face. *Throws Christmas chocolate* Anyhoo, enjoy!

Chapter Two – A Ray of Hope Can Heal the Heartbreak

Even the smell of freshly prepared food cooking on a roaring fire couldn't bring the slightest comfort to the grieving mother. The fisherman tried his best to comfort his wife whilst trying to be strong himself, but to no avail. They were broken hearted, and his wife constantly blamed herself for what had happened, and nothing her husband said could lift the guilt from her shoulders. The weather still hadn't improved, as was the norm when living on the coast during winter, but the howling wind and rain only reminded the fisherman's wife of the last precious few hours that she had with her baby girl. She then thought back to that face that she had thought she saw at the window. Perhaps a spirit had taken her daughter away? Perhaps that is why she had been so calm during the storm, and so transfixed when looking out of the window, and also why her daughter had always been drawn to water? Perhaps mischievous spirits had taken her away with them back to their supernatural realm? Legends of old did say that they were attracted to fair haired children, perhaps because their golden hair represents the natural sunlight which they could never live under, due to being creatures of darkness. She began to shakily explain this to her husband, when suddenly she heard a faint cry in the distance. The woman sat, momentarily stunned. She heard it again, carried in on the wind. She clutched on to her husbands arm almost fiercely. "Do you hear that?" She exclaimed. The fisherman listened, but could only hear the usual sounds of a storm. Suddenly, the wind howled more fiercely then before, the cry becoming louder. "I-it just might be her! Perhaps the spirits didn't take her after all! Or perhaps she somehow escaped! Oh come dear husband, we must make haste!" The woman cried, clutching his arm and making her way to the door, her free hand still clutching her child's bracelet. The fisherman was quite startled to hear this strange story; Spirits from another realm? He feared that his wife was going mad with grief, but as the wind whipped round the house again, he too heard it; a strange, mournful cry, almost like a lost child. If this was the work of spirits, then surely they were merely mocking them, taunting them for their misfortunes with false hope. Still, he saw a desperate hopeful light in his wife's eyes; a light which had gone out since the incident. So, with a heavy sigh and pessimistic thoughts he allowed his wife to lead him – rather forcefully – outside.

They ran towards the fretful cry, rain pelting almost painfully across their faces as they did so. With every length they ran the sound cried on, yet they never seemed to get any closer. Still, the woman would push her husband on, something in her heart telling her that there really was someone out there who needed her. "My love, I do not think that –"the fisherman began to say, when suddenly he saw a flash of gold in the light of a sudden lightning strike, which streaked across the sky aggressively. His heart missed a beat. Surely it couldn't be? The winds died down slightly, and the rain slowed slightly. The fisherman and his wife picked up their pace, hoping beyond all hope that their little girl was alive and well. The mournful voice had led them to a beach which resided close to their home. Sure enough there was a fair haired child standing just in the very edge of the water. However, the child wasn't their daughter. It was a little boy, about three years old. His hair was short and spiky, standing up in all directions, with a cowlick at his forehead. Like their daughters', his eyes were bright blue, as if part of the ocean itself resided in them. But these beautiful pools of blue were drowning in tears. He was crying, and shivering from the cold, or perhaps fear, the couple weren't sure. It was then that the wind and the rain died down significantly, although the waves of the ocean continued to churn. The couple felt their hearts melt.

Looking around they could see no-one else, but the boy kept looking at the waves behind him, almost as if they were about to reach out and drag him into their dark depths. The fisherman's wife looked down at her daughter's bracelet and sighed. The waters had taken away her child, but provided a new one in return. Perhaps it wasn't the work of spirits that had torn her baby away from her, but fate. Perhaps this child had lost his family in the sea due to the storm. They all needed each other. The couple glanced at each other briefly, before a soft sad smile came to the woman's lips. She didn't need verbal permission from her husband to know that he had already decided the same thing as his wife.

They both already felt a parental love for the boy. His soft, sorrowful yet beautiful eyes pleaded for help; for comfort; for love. The woman took the blanket from around her shoulders and wrapped it around the boy, slipping the shell bracelet around his wrist. She knew he could never replace her baby, but from now on she knew that the bracelet would represent new beginnings, and how fortunate she was to have another chance at raising a child, and having a special little one to love. The little boy's soft sobs softened as he nuzzled into his new mother, finally having some warmth and comfort after hours of wandering in the cold.

Years went by, and the boy grew up in a content, simple lifestyle. His name was Roxas, which was the only thing he had said to them on the day that they had found him. His new father had taught him everything he knew about fishing. How to weave good, strong, nets for a decent catch. How to handle the boat and make any repairs that may be necessary whilst out on a fishing trip, and also about which fish would bring them a decent wage, and which were better to throw back.

Although he was an obedient and respectful child, eager to learn new things, his parents found that Roxas always seemed to be emotionally distant. The only time they had seen his express any strong emotion was on the day that they had found him. Sometimes he would smile slightly when praised or spoken to with kind words; or chuckle meekly if his father ever made a joke. And they only knew that he was sad when they noticed his eyes glossier then usual, but other then that Roxas remained mysteriously distant, making it hard for his parents to know what he was thinking. His eyes always appeared empty and lifeless, as if his very soul had been extinguished. At first this had worried his parents. Surely a child should be able to laugh and play, but Roxas was never very enthusiastic about anything, other then his work. When he wasn't working with his father, he was inside the house, or on nice days outside under the trees studying the lesson books that his mother has written for him.

Even on the odd occasion when people would come by to purchase the fish his father had caught or any spare nets that they had made, he seemed disinterested by the children his age who ran around and played while their fathers settled on a deal. Even when they invited him to join in their games, he never showed any interest in doing so.

Whenever they were on the beach he would stare sadly out to sea. More often then not, his mother had caught him sighing softly and fiddling with the shell bracelet, almost as though he wasn't sure whether it was right for him to wear it. The fisherman would laugh at his wife and say that boys his age didn't usually take to wearing bracelets, but when they told him he didn't have to wear it, he'd shake his head and put it on regardless; yet he always stared sadly at it. On the days when he seemed even more distant the usual, his parents would voice their concern, only to be replied with a dismissive shake of the head and the sweetest smile he could muster to ease their concerns.

Still, despite everything, they loved their son dearly. They never forgot how truly lucky they were to have a second chance at being parents. However, they would soon discover that their life with Roxas was about to become very complicated.


	3. Chapter 3

Ooook chapter three! There's a particular scene where Axel comes across some mischievous little critters which I have added in an attempt to make the chapter longer and more interesting, but I'm not sure if I like it. After much um-ing and arr-ing I decided to give I a try, see what you guys think and let me know whether to take it out or not : / ok, I hope you enjoy ^_^

Chapter Three – A Knight of Many Tales

Meanwhile, a few miles away from Roxas' home, a knight was travelling through a wood on horseback. The woods themselves were almost as dark as the knight's steeds' coat, save a few strips of sun light through the tops of the trees whose trunks were large and thick, indicating the age of the woods themselves. Their roots were large enough to protrude out from the ground, tearing open the surrounding soil as well as a maze of pathways which lead deeper into the trees, all of which were lined with over grown shrubs. The knight had cut through in hopes of finding a shortcut to the nearest village, despite its dreary appearance. He has been travelling for a very long time, and both he and his horse were in much need of rest. He suspected that his horse required treatment for his hooves, as the poor thing had started to walk with a slight limp. They were bound to need clearing of dirt and debris after the grounds that they had covered, which intensified his impatience to find somewhere decent to rest as soon as possible.

People he had met along the road had warned him against travelling through these particular woods, as local belief told of faerie folk who resided within, who often played tricks on weary travellers, forever trapping them within the endless maze of paths and trees, dooming them to endlessly wander the woods, never to leave again. The knight had scoffed at their "unrealistic superstitions" and had taken to the woods anyway. If he had continued to travel along the road, it would have taken him three days to get to the next village, and he simply could not wait. His food rations were now very meagre. Although looking around his current surroundings the knight was starting to wonder whether they had been right. No matter which way he turned his surrounding never seemed to change; it was almost as if he was riding round in one big circle. "Hmm, perhaps we should have taken their warnings into serious consideration, huh?" he said to his horse, awkwardly running his had through his own very spiky red hair. His horse merely snorted in response and carried on walking.

Eventually the soft sound of trickling water came to his ears. Suddenly his throat tightened dryly, and he realised how thirsty he was. He travelled on, in hopes that he'd come to the source of said water. The further he went, the louder the sound of running water became. Shortly afterwards, the knight could hear a sound which could only be described as bubbling laughter. He chose to ignore that; right now he needed a drink. Thankfully, he came to a small lake. The knight stiffly dismounted his horse and walked it to the waters edge, where it drank heavily. He too cupped his hands and drank, enjoying the wonderful thirst quenching sensation of the cool water on his lips. It was then that he heard the bubbling laughter again. "Drink all you like, handsome stranger, although I think that you'll find yourself thirsting for something much more satisfying very soon" the voice said seductively, followed by a chorus of the strange bubbling laughter. The knight looked up from where he was kneeling. Right in the middle of the river stood three very beautiful women. Their long wavy hair rippled all the way down their backs to their feet. They were garbed in long white pleated dresses, which flowed all around them. They almost looked as one would underwater, apart from the fact that they were out in the open air. The water rippled around their dainty feet, although they never sank. Was it a mere illusion and they were simply standing on a slightly submerged section of land? Or were they water sprites with the ability of standing on water as one would on solid ground? The knight snorted to himself; 'water sprites. How ridiculous'. The women were still looking at him, their almond shape eyes staring into his seductively. The knight raised an eyebrow. What did they assume he would do? Walk towards them with lust filled eyes and subconsciously drown himself whilst he strove to meet the creatures of his desire? Perhaps these three women were one reason why people supposedly never came out of these woods. He wondered just how many unfortunate men had lost their lives in this very lake.

Yet, in all their mysterious beauty, the knight merely lead his horse away and remounted, giving the women a two fingered salute and commanding his horse to trot on, stating that beautiful _women_ weren't his thing, but he was flattered all the same. On hearing these words, the women's appearance suddenly changed. Their eyes narrowed in severe anger, their facial features became more chiselled and their teeth lengthened, becoming as sharp as needle points. Their peach coloured skin faded to give their complexion a more greenish tinge. Folds of skin grew between their fingers and toes, giving them an almost amphibious appearance. Their once beautiful and alluring eyes turned yellow, wide and savage. The creatures screeched and hissed at the knight, having never before been refused a soul to feast upon. At first the knight's eyes widened in utter shock. Obviously there were such things as water sprites. Before he could react further, the water creatures let out another mighty skin crawling screech, and came rushing forward on forebodingly sized waves of lake water. The knight drew his sword in preparation for the attack, his horse rearing up in fright. But to his surprise, the creatures stopped at the edge of the river. Clearly they could not leave the waters edge. He commanded his horse to turn and canter, as the sprites tried to capture him in thick rope like streams of water, in order to drag him back down to the lake and drown him. In a burst of intense fear the knights' steed screeched, adrenalin pumping through its' blood enabling it to summon the strength needed to speed away, just managing to slip away from the grasp of the homicidal creatures; he and his rider escaping completely unscathed – if not a little wet, leaving the water sprites to howl with rage.

Despite everything, the knight couldn't help but chuckle as he tried to remove the remaining water from his hair. "Well, that was certainly interesting" he mused. His horse snorted and shook its head, almost as if disagreeing with its master, thinking him to be mad for saying such a thing. "I just hope that my chain mail doesn't rust" the knight chuckled.

From then on, the knight came across some very colourful characters. He started to wonder whether the forest had some sort of psychic energy, as he always seemed to find trouble with one woodland resident or another, depending on what he had really wanted at the time. Such an example would be when the weariness of his journey caught up with him. His eyelids began to feel quite heavy, and he found himself longing for a comfortable sleep, a proper bed where he could lay his head to rest on a soft fluffy pillow. In the corner of his eye he saw what he believed at fist to be a fire fly. Was it really night time outside of the woods already? Or was it simply too dark amongst the trees that they didn't know the difference? As he stared, he found that one fire fly became two, then three, before he knew it there was a whole swarm in front of him, except these particular fire flies had tiny voices, which giggled in a mischievous mocking manner as they buzzed round his head. The knights' horse grunted and tossed its head nervously, but the knight found himself mesmerised by them. One of them came closer, and upon further inspection - having to cross his eyes a little - he could see that they were in fact tiny male fairies, their bodies blurred with light; however he could still see the outlines of their bodies and their faces. The one closest to him blew what appeared to be dust from its hand, the particles finding their way to the knights' eyes. Instead of feeling vexed by this, he found himself laughing quite giddily, his horse feeling more wiser tried to trot on ahead to escape the little pests, but they would not be ignored and caught up quickly. The knight however was beginning to feel quite light, as if he were floating into a warm, comfy place, almost as if his soul was leaving his body. A strong euphoria flowed through him, and he was only vaguely aware of who he was and where he was going. The tiny fairies softly kissed his lips with their tiny mouths, gently caressing his face and whispering words of comfort; 'come, we shall ease the weariness of your aching limbs'. One minute he was floating, feeling all of his wariness and worries flow away from him, carried away by some beautiful young fairy folk - the next he was upside down in a bush, his armour and his shirt scattered around him with his horse nudging and biting him trying to wake him up from his giggling stupor. He awoke feeling quite groggy, with no idea why his top half was naked, nor why his horse was particularly grumpy.

Another occasion occurred-once he was once again fully dressed as any self respecting travelling knight would be- when he started to feel very hungry. His rations were long used up, and he had seen no wildlife to hunt, or berries to pick on any of the shrubs that he passed. His horse was content grazing upon the grass whenever the knight stopped for natural causes, or to ease his stiff legs. "It's alright for some" he muttered to his horse, feeling quite vexed. "Food is practically everywhere for you". On this occasion he had stumbled upon a very small creature which kind of resembled a man, except that his skin had a strange brownish yellow complexion and his ears were pointy. His hair was short and brown, completely covering half of his face, revealing only one golden eye, which glinted mischievously. "Oh weary traveller, I sense your needs. I shall give you some food in exchange for gold." And saying this, he pulled out what appeared to be a freshly baked bread bun from a brown woollen bag that he had with him. The knight felt his mouth water, as the delicious aroma of the bread seemed to become stronger. Ignoring the little voice in his head which told him that the imp was clearly up to mischief, he took a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the little man, who giggled with glee. As the knight began to eat, he realised that the bread was very light, and upon finishing it hadn't satisfied his hunger at all. He looked confused for a second, staring blankly in front of him, before he looked down and noticed a little man standing in front of him. Had he been there before? The knight wasn't quite sure.

"I sense your needs, Sir Knight, you are weary from hunger. Here, take some of my bread, all it will cost you is one gold coin". Feeling his mouth water, the knight complied with the imp's request. The little man laughed cutely, as if he found the sight of the knight eating most humorous. Said knight looked confused again. His hunger didn't seem to be the least bit satisfied. He stared blankly for a while, as if trying to remember something important. Deciding that his memory had eluded him, he turned to walk back to his horse, only to bump into a small man with pointy ears. "I sense your needs, Sir Knight – "he began; wait, this was sounding all too familiar, wasn't it?

"I wouldn't give him any more gold if I were you" a female voice said. "Pretty soon you'll have nothing left; that is his intention "

"Huh?" The knight turned to see a young woman standing next to a large oak tree. She wore a long black skirt with a slit up the right hand side. Her shirt was also black, but the sleeves were long, similar to that of a geisha. Her hair was short and blond, but two bangs hung at each side of her face, almost looking like the antennas of an ant. The woman walked towards him almost suavely. The imp gave a small shriek and tried to run, but as quick as lightning the woman grabbed him by the back of his earthy jacket. "Give me the gold" she demanded almost wearily, as if she was tiresome of dealing with imps. "I don't know what you mean!" the imp snapped, trying to wriggle free. He managed to slip his jacket, but before he could make another bid for freedom, the woman grabbed him by the arm then tipped him upside down, holding onto his foot, shaking him. The imp shrieked again, and demanded to be released; trying to kick and hit her with his free leg and little fists, but to no avail.

"Never believe the words of an imp. They have an uncanny ability to make you forget all logic and they can manipulate the mind in order to make you fall for their trickery. You weren't actually eating anything, just air. His powers of illusion made you see and smell bread."

'Well' thought the knight. 'That certainly explains a lot'. He had never been this foolish before in his life, these woods really must have been cursed. The woman kept a firm hand and the imp, who was still wriggling in a desperate attempt to break free as she bent down to pick up his jacket. "Don't you dare! That's mine! Unhand me you miserable witch!" the imp cried. The woman ignored his protests, smacking him to the floor as punishment for his outburst. The little imp cried out in pain, but the woman merely smirked as if his pain pleased her. The knight was beginning to think he should forget about the gold and carry on with his journey. He didn't like this woman either. Her actions- even her very aura screamed sadism. "Um, I thank you for revealing the truth to me, but you really mustn't trouble yourself any further. Forget about the gold, I'll just be on my way, and this time, I won't stop for anything." He turned and was about to walk away when he heard a chink of coins and a soft thump. The woman had shaken the jacket upside down along with its owner. A small pile of coins fell to the ground, along with a small book bearing a strange symbol on the cover, along with a random assortment of items, including a piece of string, some rocks and an acorn or two. She picked up the coins and the book and slung the imp into the bushes, who's startled slightly enraged scream was silenced by a sickening thudding noise. The knight winced slightly, wondering if the creature was still in one piece. "Here Sir Knight, your gold, along with some extra for your trouble; clearly you weren't his first victim." She put the coins into his hand, gently holding it for a seemingly long time, her teal eyes constantly locked onto his emerald green ones. The knight cleared his throat nervously. "Um, well, yes. Thank you for your help. I-I'll just be on my way." Remounting his horse, he wondered whether he should inquire as the how he could get out of the forest without encountering further trouble, but he wasn't sure whether she would give him an honest answer. He didn't like the way she was currently looking at him. Still, he has been wandering around for a very long time now, and he didn't seem to be getting anywhere on his own.

"Um, forgive me for the inconvenience madam, but might I enquire as to how I should get out of this forest?"

"Consider it not an inconvenience, Sir Knight" the woman said, eyes twinkling. "It would be best to take the path straight between those oak trees" she pointed up ahead of them. For a brief moment the trees she had pointed to rustled, almost looking as though they had leaned backwards slightly in order to make more room for the knight to travel through. "Here, take this, and the forest's magic will have no effect on you". She handed him what appeared to be a flat brown stone with a zigzag pattern on one side. The knight raised an eyebrow confused and sceptical.

"Do not worry, knight, it is an amulet. It clears the mind and nullifies distractive magic." Despite his uncertainty, the knight thought it best to keep the amulet out of politeness. After all, despite her unnerving behaviour, she had helped him.

"Thank you, madam. I shall keep it close". He smiled as sincerely as he could at her and re-mounted his horse. "Please call me Larxene" the woman smiled. "And may I enquire as to your name, Sir Knight?" Thinking that he wouldn't come back to this forest again, the knight decided to tell her. He was now too weary to care about being cautious anyway. "My name is Axel" he replied.

"Well, Sir Axel, perhaps you would care for some real food?" Larxene asked with a sly smirk, taking a fruit bun out of a kerchief in her pocket. Axel looked at her wearily for a moment, but she merely laughed. "Fear not, I assure you, it's quite real. I made it myself." Axel took it from her, his stomach rumbling. It certainly felt real, and there was weight to this one. He took a bite out of it, and could actually taste it, and when he swallowed he didn't feel empty. If anything, it made him crave more. He then realised just how hungry he was. Larxene chuckled. "Here, have the other two, I can eat later. Have my water flask, too." Axel had never tasted something so wonderful in all his life, or so it seemed at this moment. How long had it actually been since he last ate? How long had he been trapped in this forest?

"Thank you again, for your kindness, um, Larxene. Here, take something for the food, I insist!" He handed her a gold coin, noticing how she took time to brush her fingers across his. Axel pulled his hand away quicker then he thought politely necessary, and worried that he'd offended the woman, he smiled as brightly as one could whilst felling awkward. Axel turned his horse and commanded it to trot on, keeping the stone amulet in a coin purse at his waist, where he had also placed his remaining coins. He had only travelled a short distance when he heard the imp again. He'd obviously regained consciousness and had run back to claim his belongings, but the knight turned just in time to see Larxene strike him down with a bolt of lightning she had formed in her hands; Axels' eyes widened in shock. So she was a witch, and a cruel one at that; that would explain why she was able to roam the woods without falling victim to its supernatural inhabitants' mischief. He looked away and commanded his horse to canter. The further away he was from these woods, the better.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four - An Auspicious Meeting

_Roxas stood at the edge of a cliff side facing the sea. The skies were dark and stormy, with thick black clouds choking the air around him. The waves crashed against the rocks below, as if trying to chip them away piece by piece until the cliff gave way, causing him to plunge into the churning seas and drag him into their icy depths. The wind whipped around the blond, almost as if it was trying to push him into the ocean. "No, I need more time" he thought pleadingly. Suddenly the most mournful sound of a crying child was carried in on the wind, causing his heart clenched terribly. A little girl appeared before him, standing on the water without sinking, the waves of the ocean coiling around her ankles as if fastening her to the spot, preventing her from running to land, a deep sadness and longing in her beautiful blue eyes; eyes which looked so much like Roxas', betrayed this very desire, her pale golden hair rippled around her face. Her eyes were the saddest Roxas had ever seen. She was only a toddler; one or two at the most. A strong sense of guilt washed through him as he fiddled with the shell bracelet around his wrist._

"_I didn't ask for this" he thought miserably. To his horror a giant wave leaped up behind the girl with a mighty roar before diving back down, swallowing her completely and silencing her cries. The ocean waters were becoming rougher, thunder rumbled threateningly above him. The waves grew in strength, and began crashing against the cliff; bit by bit it began to crumble, until it finally gave way from underneath him, and Roxas dropped like a stone into predatory seas. He tried to fight his way through the churning water to make it up to the surface, but he was being pulled down, down, down into the dark depths of the ocean. His chest burned, his body screaming desperately for air. He reached his hand out in front of him, hoping to grab onto something, anything, in order to pull himself up towards the surface; but his desperate attempt were in vain. The burning sensation in his chest intensified, and he breathed in, water gushing into his lungs._

Roxas woke with a start, sweat dripping from his brow. He panted heavily as if he really had been holding his breath the entire time. His chest heaved as he looked around his room, trying to take in the familiarity and convince himself that it all really had been just a dream. His room held nothing extravagant, just a small table with a wooden stool and shelf on the wall opposite his bed. The bed sat right beside a window, which currently allowed soft moonlight to fill into the room. His breathing slowed as he calmed down a little, this _was _his room; it _had_ only been a dream. He'd had the dream more then once, but now the dreams of drowning, of being dragged into the dark depths of the sea, were occurring more and more. They always felt so _real_. He knew they were a warning. He only had a short time left, but what was he to do? He thought back to the little girl in his dream. She had been a lot younger that what he had been when the fisherman and his wife had found him. He had always known that they were not his biological parents, but now the time was coming when he wouldn't even be able to pretend just for a while that they were. That just for a while he could be an ordinary boy. He looked at the shell bracelet, which was currently sitting on a small wooden chest of draws next to his bed. His breathing had slowed and his heart was no longer ramming painfully against his chest. Roxas spent a few minutes trying to clear his thoughts of the usual panicky, uneasy feeling one gets after a nightmare, and slowly, he managed to drift off once more into an uneasy sleep.

Early that morning Roxas woke with a start after having a similar dream, however this time he wasn't able to get back to sleep. With a sigh he got up and dressed. A simple pair of cotton trousers and a white shirt with shoe string lace at the front, with baggy sleeves for simple comfort. Good enough for the son of a simple fisherman. He slipped on his boots, hesitating when he saw the shell bracelet. He sighed sadly, and put it on despite his guilt laced feelings, then began to carefully walk through the house, not wanting to wake his parents. He opened the front door slowly, cringing at the creaking noise it created despite his caution. Hearing no sounds of his parents having awoken he went outside, closing the door gently behind him. It was early morning, the sun just barely peaking over the ocean's horizon, but shining just enough to create a soft golden glow to shine throughout the new born sky, causing the oranges and pinks of early morn to stand out all the more. He groggily made his way down to a small brook which ran a few feet away from his house. He knelt down and looked at his reflection for a little while. His large deep blue eyes were sad as they were most days, and a troubled frown etched his otherwise handsome features. He growled irritated with himself, before cupping some water into his hands and splashing his face, part of him hoped that the clean clear water would wash away all of his worries as well as the dirt he imagined himself to be tainted with for all he had done, but all it accomplished was waking him up a little.

Suddenly, he heard the soft hoof beats of a horse. He looked up. According to where the sun was it was approximately six in the morning. Who would be travelling so early? Roxas looked towards the trees and saw a man riding a large black stallion. As the steed came closer, Roxas could make out the rider's deep red hair, sticking out behind him in large thick spikes. _"What an unusual hairstyle" _he thought. The man wore chain mail under silver armour, a white shirt draped over the front of his armour, displaying an unusual cross-like symbol on the front. A broad sword hung from his belt. _"He must be a knight"_ Roxas thought, unable to look away. The man came even closer, and Roxas could see his stunning emerald eyes. As beautiful as they were, they appeared puffy as if he was very tired. His horse, too, looked very weary. It limped slightly on its back leg. Roxas did not realise he has been staring with his mouth slightly open, until a voice interrupted his trail of thought.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I have been travelling for a very long time, and both me and my horse are in much need of rest of refreshment. If it is not too much of an inconvenience, might I trouble you for some logins and provisions?" The knight smiled at the boy with mild amusement. He'd never been started at so intensely before; although the blond himself was very handsome. Golden hair like the rays of the sun, and the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. Sapphire eyes that bore into his almost mesmerised. He noticed the young man blush slightly as he looked down with embarrassment. "I - I - um, y-yes, that should be-be fine. I, uh, follow me Sir" Roxas stammered, bowing his head slightly. The knight chuckled; the lad was cute when he was shy. "My name is Axel" the red headed knight smiled, extending a hand. "And I can assure you I'm not old enough to be addressed as _"Sir_" he chuckled. Roxas timidly shook his hand.

"Apologies, I-I meant no offense. My name is R-Roxas" the flustered blond stammered. Being this close to the knight, he could now see that he had strange tear drop shaped markings under his eyes. Roxas wanted to inquire as to how he had obtained them, but thought it would be rude, so he merely nodded at the knight, slowly released his hand and turned to lead the knight back to his house, well aware that his face was burning. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him. He'd never had this much of a reaction to someone before. Perhaps the solution to his problem resided in this very man, only time would tell.

He led Axel to a smaller wooden hut behind his house. "Forgive me knight, but this is the only place that we have to accommodate your horse. I can bring some spare oats we may have to feed him" Roxas said, feeling mildly ashamed for only being able to provide such a handsome important man such a flimsy place to keep his steed.

Axel chuckle softly. "I think he will be too tired to worry about it. And you may call me by my name" he added, giving Roxas a wink which made the blonds' heart skip a beat. The red head wearily dismounted his horse, and removed its saddle and bridle. "I shall clean his hooves later" Axel said sighing, as he placed the saddle onto the floor. Roxas wished he could do something for the knight, but he knew next to nothing about horses, having seeing only a small handful in his lifetime. "So, Roxas was it? Where am I to be staying?" Axel asked, wondering whether he would have to settle down with his horse. Not that he would have particularly cared at this moment, for he was very weary. Roxas however thought otherwise, worried that he'd offended or displeased his important guest as he watched the knight looked around the hut thoughtfully. Roxas' blush darkened.

"Oh, f-forgive me Sir Knight" Axel chuckled and corrected him.

"Axel. You may call me Axel".

"Oh-oh y-yes, or course. Follow me". Axel gave his horse a fond pat on the neck and followed Roxas into the house. Once again he looked around his surroundings; they obviously lived a very modest life. A stone fire place sat on the right hand side wall about a foot away from the front door. Charred logs sat in the mouth of it. An arm chair sat in front of the fire. It was a little tattered and patched in places, clearly well used. At the far end of the room to the left hand side sat a small wooden table, littered with hooks, strings and what appeared to be a half finished net. Obviously a fisherman's working desk. There was a smaller doorway in the corner of the room near one of the bedrooms opposite the fireplace. Another bedroom lay at the end of the room near the working desk. The ceiling was fairly low, but just high enough for the red head to stand without having to lower his head. Roxas blushed again and looked down, wondering what Axel thought of his very simple home. He couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself. He'd never been embarrassed by his home before. His father worked very hard to keep them in the accommodation like this. There were many people in the world who would consider this a real luxury. After all, it was sturdy and draught proof enough, and had two bedrooms along with this main front room. Some people had to keep their whole family in one room on a cold dirt floored house.

He sneaked a peak at Axels' expression. The knight merely looked thoughtful, but still very tired. Dark bags hung under his eyes, which he was finding hard to keep open. "Um, you may rest in my room, Axel. Would you care for something to eat?"

Axel smiled tiredly at Roxas. "That is most kind of you. I hope I am not imposing, taking your room. And no, thank you. If I may, I would like to eat later. I am much too weary right at the moment."

Axel hoped that Roxas' family could spare some food. He would feel awful if he were to take away their provisions. He vowed he would pay the family for their hospitality. Roxas lead the man to his room, where he took off his boots, placing them neatly beside the bed. He placed his sword strap around the bedpost and began to slowly remove his white shirt with the cross like pattern, then the large plates of armour, and chain mail, revealing a thin white cotton shirt underneath. Roxas found that he was staring and blushing deeply again. Seeing the knight slowly peel away his clothing made him feel strange, almost like a flutter of butterflies had some how found their way into his stomach. Now that the all of his armour had been taken off, Roxas could see that the knight had a very slim figure for a man, although he appeared to be well toned. His arms were lined with muscle, obviously built up from practicing his sword fighting. He had caught a glimpse of Axels' stomach as he had lifted his arms whilst removing his chain mail and armour, revealing a track of muscle. Roxas swallowed roughly. He jumped when Axels' tired emerald eyes locked onto his own.

"I-uh, I hope you will be comfortable enough. I-I shall return in a few hours to see if you should-should, uh, require anything' he stammered. Axel smirked in amusement once more and said "are you always this shy, or am I just special?" Roxas flushed in embarrassment and frowned, almost scowled. The knight immediately regretted his jest, hoping he hadn't offended his host too much after all the kindness he had shown him.

"Forgive me. I am so weary I am starting to speak nonsense. I hope I have not offended you; you have been most kind. I –I shall just rest now" he said nervously, lying down on Roxas' mattress with his back to Roxas. Despite being a little upset that he'd offended the blond, Axels' exhaustion finally overpowered him and he fell into a deep sleep.

Roxas sighed, regretting his actions. The knight was only trying to be friendly, he supposed, and he was the one that had been staring. Perhaps he had been making the knight feel uncomfortable. Roxas sighed, and it was then that he remembered Axels' horse. He decided he'd make up for his behaviour towards the knight by making his horse comfortable and perhaps catch some fish for their breakfast. His father had some pre - cooked dried pieces of beef - which was a fairly luxurious type of meat for them to actually afford with the very modest earnings his father made - left in a jar which they kept in their small pantry, but Roxas felt that dried meat wasn't good enough for a knight, someone who was probably used to fine cuts of fresh beef amongst other plentiful portions of food that Roxas' family would only ever dream of eating.

So he grabbed a complete fishing net and went outside again. First he took a bag of oats that they could spare out of the pantry and carried it to Axels' horse. He found it lying down on its side, breathing steadily. At first Roxas panicked, thinking there was something wrong with it. He moved forward slowly to get a closer look, when suddenly the horse sat up and clumsily got to his feet. Roxas breathed a sigh of relief. He put the bag down in front of the horse and patted its neck as it grunted gratefully, before closing the door and making his way to the neighbouring river in hopes of catching his own breakfast.

After much patient waiting, a short doze and a scramble to keep his catch in the net, a slightly wet Roxas returned to his house with a decent catch of five trout. He did manage to catch a few more, but they were far too small to make a decent meal out of, so he merely threw those back. _"Lucky things" _he had thought, watching the small ones swim away quickly. He had never did like killing the fish. All it took was a smack to the head, or to leave them out of the water until they stopped breathing, but it hurt him to do so. His father had always found this strange sensitivity amusing. Still, Roxas did what he always did-closed his eyes and whacked the fish against the floor. He also hated gutting them, but over the years working with his father these tasks had become slightly easier. He though about Axel, and that handsome debonair smile of his; and how he imagined his eyes would light up at the site of freshly prepared breakfast, the thought made his task easier to bare.

A couple of hours later, the fisherman and his wife woke to the smell of cooking trout. They went into the main room to see Roxas cooking on a hot fire, with some small potatoes boiling in a pot next to the fish. "Morning" he greeted with an unusually cheerful smile.

"Why, Roxas, how kind of you" his mother smiled, walking over and hugging her son. "What has happened to have placed such a glowing smile upon your face?" his father asked, as Roxas placed a trout fillet and a spoonful of potatoes onto a plate and handed it to him. The sound of one of the bedroom doors opening answered the fisherman's question. "We have company" Roxas replied, smiling shyly at Axel. The red head returned the smile and stretched.

"Hmm, is that breakfast I smell?" He asked, looking forward to his first proper meal in a long time. Roxas smiled shyly in response, feeling his cheeks heat up again. He dished out Axels' portion and handed it to him, too shy to make eye contact. Axels' smile widened as he took the plate. "You are too kind" he said. It was then that he realised that Roxas' parents were in the room.

"Oh, please excuse me, Sir, Madam. Here, please, eat first" he said apologetically, offering his plate to whichever of the two wished to take it.

"No, no, please sit down Sir, tell us a little about yourself" The fisherman said, gesturing to the patched seat by the fire. It wasn't often that they had visitors.

"I wouldn't want to intrude-"Axel began.

"We insist" the fisher man said, carefully pushing the red head into the chair. Axel chuckled nervously. "But where will you-"before he could finish his question, Roxas' mother came out of her room with two smaller wooden stools. Roxas had left the fire and came out of his room with a stool of his own. Clearly Axel was entitled to the comfortable chair in the house.

"I-I fed you horse for you" Roxas said timidly.

"Why thank you, I shall pay you for your oats of course, and also for your provisions and hospitality" Axel replied, with his usual debonair smile. Roxas flushed again and looked at his hands, twiddling them nervously, unaware that his parents were watching his unusual behaviour with surprise and amusement.

"My, you certainly seem to have quite an effect on my little Roxas" his mother said almost slyly, looking at her son who's face was now probably the same colour as Axels' hair. Axel and the fisherman chuckled.

"Well, I must say, he's certainly never been this interested in someone else before" the fisherman teased.

"Father!" Roxas grumbled huffily, staring at his knees in embarrassment. The fisherman ruffled his hair affectionately, earning disapproving grunts from the blond as he tried to shoo him off. Axel laughed softly, thinking how cute he was, making Roxas wish that the ground would swallow him.

"So, please, tell us more about yourself, what of your travels?" Roxas' mother asked; eager to hear of the handsome man's adventures.

"He's a knight!" Roxas blurted out a little too eagerly. Everyone in the room stared at him, amused by his outburst, causing Roxas to flush again and look at his feet, embarrassed, mumbling something incoherent. Axel laughed again, but a little louder this time. The sound made Roxas' heart ram against his chest.

"Well, yes, Roxas is right. I am a knight, from the city of Undine. It is a very hot place. I was travelling back after completing an important mission for my commander. I took a shortcut through the woods, which I've since learned to be enchanted."

"Everyone knows that" Roxas said, leaning over onto his knees.

"That was quite a risk my friend" the fisherman said. "Many who enter those woods never return" Axel agreed full heartedly, and went on to tell them of the mishaps that had occurred within the forest, which Roxas especially listened to with great interest. Although when Axel got to the part about Larxene, Roxas' face visibly paled.

"Y-You met Larxene?" He asked nervously.

"Why, yes. Although she helped me, she didn't prove to be a very kind person." Axel answered. Roxas swallowed roughly, and Axel noticed-slightly alarmed-that he had began to tremble slightly. "Roxas, are you alright?" His mother looked at her son with concern, touching his forehead. "You _did _cook the fish thoroughly, didn't you?"

"Y-yes, mother, I-I'll just step outside for some air" Roxas replied, subconsciously fiddling with the shell bracelet. Everyone watched as he shakily went outside. His father stood up to go after him, but Axel held out his hand. "No-no, I'll go after him. Perhaps it was something I said". Roxas' mother took the half eaten plate of food as Axel followed the blond. He found him sitting a few feet away from the house beside the river. Axel cleared his throat to alert the blond of his presence before sitting down next to him. Roxas sighed a little, fiddling with his bracelet nervously. Axel sighed. "Roxas, I'm sorry if something I said offended you back there" Roxas shook his head dismissively. "It's not that" he muttered. Axel watched him for a little while, before trying to lighten the mood. "I didn't know boys liked to wear shells. Did you make it? I don't think I'd have the patience". Instead of receiving one of the blonds' cute smiles he'd already grown to like so much he received an offended scowl.

"My mother gave it to me as a baby, I _have _to wear it."

"My apologies, I had no intention if causing offence. Why do you have to wear it?" Axel asked; a little upset that he'd made Roxas angry with him.

"I-I-just-it's kind of complicated, I-"Roxas sighed again, before standing up and starting to walk in the direction of that path that would take him down to the beach.

"Hold on! Roxas! Please wait!" Axel called frantically, stumbling in his hurry to stand up. He caught up to the blond quickly, placing a hand on the blonds' shoulder, causing him to stop in his tracks. "Roxas, please forgive me. I-I spoke without thinking. It's not right for me to pry into these things. I won't ask you about it again, I promise." The blond sighed again. He couldn't blame Axel. He didn't know about his - predicament. He suddenly felt a strong urge to explain everything. Tell him about the dreams, about why knowing that Larxene was near frightened him so; but he couldn't. Not yet anyway. He would drive Axel away. Not even his parents knew the truth about him; about his past life; about the dreadful secret that threatened to tear him from his normal family life. They wouldn't believe him anyway, not until - Roxas tried to shake off his negative thoughts, holding his head in his hands. Axel became alarmed, worried that he'd really upset the blond. Said blond turned to look at the red head and felt guilty when he saw Axels' worried expression.

"I'm sorry. Forgive my rudeness. I-I've just got a lot of things plaguing my thoughts at the minute, please do not worry." He forced himself to smile at the red head. "Did you finish your breakfast?"

Axel relaxed a little, deciding that if the blond did not want to talk them he would not press matters.

"I've had enough, thank you. Now I need to see to my horse. Would you like to help me?" Roxas smiled for real this time and nodded. He decided that he really would like to learn more about horses. Especially if it meant he could spend more time with Axel.

The two young men walked around to the hut where Axels' horse was being kept. The red head opened the door to see his steed lying on his side. "That's what he was doing when I came to feed him. Is he okay?" Roxas asked, starting to worry that he had somehow neglected to care for the horse properly.

"Worry not, horses lay down when they sleep. We had been travelling for many a day so he's perhaps catching up with some well deserved rest." Axel chuckled, as he carefully went over to his horse. "Stand back a little in case I startle him too much. He might un-intentionally knock into you." Roxas did as Axel asked, wondering just how dangerous a horse could be, and whether he should stand outside. Axel stood behind the horses head and gently ran his hand down its neck. The horse sprung to life and stumbled as it tried to stand up. It grunted as if displeased to have been woken from its slumber. "How is its hoof? I saw that it was limping when you first arrived" Roxas asked. "They just need cleaning" Axel replied, unhooking what appeared to be a small silver hook from his horses saddle. He then gently ran his hand down the horses' side until he reached its back leg. When Roxas looked at him quizzically the knight said "it's so he knows I'm there, otherwise he might have panicked if I suddenly touched him and kick out. They could easily kill you with a single blow to the head."

Roxas looked at the animal uneasily; horses certainly were unpredictable creatures. "Worry not" Axel reassured with a kind smile. "We trust each other well. Respect an animal and it will respect you". He lifted his horses hoof as Roxas gave it a wide birth, shimmying around keeping close to the walls until he stood near to Axel. "You have to avoid the frog in the middle" the red head said.

At this statement Roxas laughed. "They have frogs in their feet?"

Axel chuckled. "The frog is the triangular fleshy part in the middle of the hoof. It's a sensitive tendon, if you hurt that, you hurt the whole foot."

"Does it croak?" Roxas asked humorously.

Axel smirked. "That was terrible!" He teased. Roxas laughed, his eyes sparkling. It was strange how much more of a personality Axel brought out in him.

Throughout his stay the red head continued to teach Roxas about the proper care for horses and in turn Roxas taught him about fishing. Firstly he taught him how to make a good decent net, which Axel always seemed to somehow get stuck in his hair, much to the amusement of Roxas who teased him with comments such as "ooh, you're a very strange looking fish, I'll have to throw you back!" Roxas also taught the knight how to find edible berries and mushrooms in the woods, and show him which ones were good to eat and which ones would make you sick. The evenings soon became Roxas' favourite time of the day, because that's' when he and Axel would sit down by the fire, sometimes with his parents, other times they were alone, and tell stories of events they had experience in their lives or interesting events which had occurred during the day. Such things had never fully appealed to Roxas before, but within the past few weeks of the red heads' visit he had began to feel a new found interest for such things. Axel spoke of his home land and all of the adventures he'd had, and even some of the battles that he'd fought in. The family took particular interest in the knights' stories, especially Roxas, who was starting to think that Axel was the bravest man he'd ever met, and his eyes glowed in awe as the red head spoke, watching words spill from his perfect, enticing lips, each beautiful smile made his breath hitch, and he couldn't help but notice how the knight's emerald green eyes brightened whenever he spoke of something he was passionate about, like his sword training, and all of the wonderful, exotic places he had been to.

He also spoke of the origins of his city, which was called Undine. The very word made Roxas' heart skip a beat, his eyes dilated slightly from fear of recognition. Axel spoke of the local folklore describing of long distant times where sea creatures known as Undine were often spied amongst the waves of the ocean, usually during stormy nights or when the moon was full. Usually they took the form of what appeared to be beautiful young maidens no older then twenty, but were in fact centuries old, who often ventured out of their watery depths in hopes to find a human mate and obtain a soul. Folk said that their alluring songs could often be heard throughout the night, carried in on the wind. It was said that the grand captain who had first discovered the land had done so by following the song of one of the water sprites, and upon finding her taking her for his bride, and over time building the city which he named after his new brides' people. A statue of them had been created to commemorate the legend, which had been placed on the cliff side where the two lovers had supposedly met. He laughed at the idea of people supposedly throwing their hearts away so easily for a song. Roxas laughed awkwardly with Axel, unsure how else to react without causing the knight to question his actions.

This particular tale created a flurry of unusual emotions within Roxas. Confusion, fear, shame and yet perhaps a small spark of hope. Axel had obviously heard of such legends before, so perhaps he wouldn't react quite so badly when – if – he ever decided to tell the red head about – well, his _predicament. _

During the day Axel started to teach Roxas how to ride a horse. The blond struggled to maintain his balance at first, and at one point he ended up clinging to the horse's neck for dear life while Axel had to run after his steed in order to rescue him. Eventually Axel decided to sit on the horse with Roxas in front, taking the hold of the reins from behind, which made Roxas feel nervous for reasons other then the riding itself. His face flushed pink as Axels' well toned chest pressed into him as he leaned forward to give Roxas instructions about how to control the horse, his breath softly brushing past the blonds' ear, making his blush deepen.

At night time Roxas had taken to sleeping on a spare mattress to allow Axel to sleep on his more comfortable bed - despite the red heads' protests - in the view that it would make him a poor host if he didn't allow his guest to sleep as comfortably as possible.

One particularly stormy night, Axel noticed that Roxas was tossing and turning, and mumbling something in his sleep. He was having another nightmare:

_Roxas had been standing on the pebbly beach near his home, the surrounding seas and black skies churned and rumbled in a terrible storm. The waves began to wrap around him, like ice cold tentacles. They wrapped around his legs, climbing up his body like a watery snake. He tried to run back towards dry land, but the water constricting him caused him to fall onto his front. He frantically scraped and scrabbled into the wet mud like sand, but he couldn't stop the pull of the water. Suddenly the weight of his panicked heart lifted as he spotted a red haired person walking onto the beach. His heart told him immediately that it was Axel. He called out to him desperately. Only he could save him now. "Axel, Axel, please help!" but the red head merely started at the blond, watching impassively as the watery tentacles dragged him into the ocean's murky depths. Fear and confusion clouded his mind. Why wasn't Axel helping him? Roxas tried to look closer, until his vision focused on Axel, and only Axel as the rest of the world became a blur, yet he could still feel the pull of the waves behind him. The knights eyes were glazed over, he merely turned his gaze slowly to look at Roxas, watching him as he was being pulled into the icy depths of the ocean, before turning around and walking away, as if nothing he saw mattered to him. Roxas reached out his arm in a desperate attempt to reach the red head, but the water washed over him, hitting him hard as if the waves had dropped from a great height, the weight of the water crushing him. Evil laughter from an unknown source rang through his ears._

Roxas woke with a start, panting heavily with sweat dripping down his brow. Axel got out of bed and knelt beside the frightened blond. "It's ok, I'm here, you were just dreaming." It took Roxas a while to realise that he was awake. He could hear rain pelting the window outside. The red head placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "Wha –what -"the blond stammered. "Oh, it was just another dream" he said breathlessly. But the coldness and fierceness of the waves had felt so real - and the laughter -

"You were crying out for me, what were you dreaming about? You seemed so frightened". Axel asked; his words laced with concern.

"Waves were pulling me in, I was going to drown. You wouldn't come. You walked away" Roxas replied shakily. The only person he had truly connected with in his life had left him. What if that really happened when he told Axel the truth about his origin; he shuddered at the thought and tried to shake away his negative feelings. Suddenly he felt a pair of warm arms around him. "Please be well, I'm here, you're fine. Do not worry about such things. It was just a nightmare". This felt strange to the blond. He hadn't been embraced by anyone since he was very young, but this time it felt almost - pleasant. He leaned into Axel still shaking slightly, but gradually he started to feel a little more relaxed. "My apologies for waking you Axel, it's just that these dreams plague me often".

"Dreams of drowning?" Axel asked, gently rubbing a hand on Roxas' arm for comfort.

"Yes, it's always the same principle" Roxas replied, eyes starting to drop with tiredness again. Perhaps you should sleep in your own bed" Axel suggested softly, brushing aside some of the sweaty bangs on Roxas' head.

"But you're our guest!" Roxas began to protest, before the knight silenced him by placing a finger gently onto his lips, making him flush slightly. Luckily it was too dark for the knight to see.

"I mean, if it is not too bold as to say, perhaps you could – share - with - me?" The red head said a little nervously. "If you have someone with you, then perhaps these dreams won't plague you so".

A sudden strike of lightning momentarily lit up the room, followed by an enormous crack of thunder. Roxas jumped and automatically clung onto Axel. He had never liked storms, despite living on an island that was often stormy, especially during winter months. When he was really young he'd go to his mother, but as he got older his father tried to make him less dependant on them _"You're a big boy now, you shouldn't still fear storms so" _he had said, so poor Roxas had had to cope alone; but even years later, especially since these dreams had begun to occur, his fears had intensified. Axel made him feel safe, like nothing could hurt him while he was around. Like he could take his sword and fight off all of his fears. Roxas could feel Axel gently rubbing his back in a comforting manner. "Y - yes, um, I - I would like to share with you. If - if that is okay" Roxas said quietly, suddenly feeling very shy. Axel smile kindly, and the two of them settled onto Roxas' bed with their backs turned to each other. Another crack of thunder made the blond jump and un -intentionally whimper. Axel turned and draped an arm around him, to let the blond know that he was there, and slowly they both drifted off to sleep.

Roxas had no more nightmares that night.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Hello again! I have made quite a few changes to this chapter; I thought that it had more depth and character in-site to it then the original version, which for some reason really irritated me. I just want to say a great big thank you to all of the people who have faved/alerted/reviewed so far! It really makes me feel as though I'm doing something right. So I'd like to say a particularly big thank you to Saru813 aka my new Beta who has followed my story from the very start and, bless her, is following it again even after it has been taken off fan fiction for months, I'm so glad an original reviewer is still interested! Merci beaucoup mon amie ^_^/ and I also want to say a big thank you to Rocket-ship-Romance, Suyiro Motsuko and UnderMySkitlez1819 and the very lovely Doom Wolf *glomps for her sweetness* Thanks for all of the alerts/faves, you guys are awesome!

Oh, and just to clear things up, the italics are flashback scenes, and Roxas speaking in between these scenes are **his** memories of what happened to him. I'm sure you'd all be thinking ok, so mer-peoples' memories are good, but surely not **that **good! Heh, I just thought that adding a flashback would describe what happened in more detail, thus being more entertaining for the reader. I hope I managed to accomplish that without dragging things on too much n_n~ anyways, enjoy!

By the way, is anyone playing/has played the newish KH Coded for the DS? I think it's just a filler chapter for fans to keep us crazier nuts going until the next and final instalment for KH comes out lol, but I just wondered if anyone else was playing it. Heh, the graphics at times remind me of retro 80s type fighting games or something, particularly when Sora's talking to people. The graphics and game style are also quite similar to the very first lot of final fantasy games O_o~ Ok, I digress, on with the story! ^_^/

**Mer Prince: Confessions 2**

Sweet laughter rang through the air as Roxas commanded the horse to jump once more over a large tree log which has fallen in the garden behind his home. The knight has been giving him horse riding lessons for a couple of moths now, and the blond was finally able to ride freely without any help.

"Axel, I'm getting it, I'm finally getting it!" his sweet musical laughter rang through the air once more. Axel snapped out of his trail of thought and gave the blond a sweet smile. He watched with wistful eyes as Roxas turned the horse gracefully and commanded him to make another leap over the log. Axel marvelled at the sight of soft golden sunlight glinting through the small blonds' hair, giving him an almost angelic appearance. His eyes sparkled beautifully, like sunlight on water, as they always did when he was happy. However, despite his observations the knight was troubled. He had loved the time he had spent living this simple life with Roxas and his family, and he found that his attachment to the blond was increasing more and more each day; he always looked forward to seeing what the new day would bring. From simply waking next to Roxas, and admiring the stillness and peaceful expression of his sleeping face as the early morning sun gently bathed his soft rosy cheeks with light, to looking forward to the days events, be they big or small, a brief fishing trip or simply staying at home to repair a net, or even a calming walk through the woods. Axel had noticed that over time Roxas had become much more confident, he no longer stuttered with nerves whenever he spoke and he was now more interested in his surroundings, taking in everything almost with a new awe and splendour, as if he had been re-born again and was seeing the world for the first time.

Even the evenings were wonderful for the knight. After a long day of work the family would gather together beside a warm roaring fire and tell stories of ancient folk lore and tales of the sea often spoken amongst fishermen or simply events that had happened to each of them that day, soothed by the hypnotic dancing of the flames and the soft soothing crackling as fire devoured wood, sounding almost as if it too was telling its own story.

Afterwards, when the fisherman and his wife had retired to bed, he and Roxas would snuggle up together on the arm chair, comforted by a new sheepskin blanket Axel and the fisherman had bought with saved up profits made from their trips, and by the body warmth of each other generated by the heat of the flames, where they would talk for hours before they too retired to bed.

Yes, the knight was troubled because he had come to realise that he was falling in love with the young blond. Everything Roxas did brought a smile to his face, everything down to his determination to tackle any task that he came across, his stubborn slightly scrappy nature whenever things became hard for him-such as constantly falling from Axels' horse during lessons and also having to deal with the red heads' teasing comments. It was a big step of the heart but he could no longer deny his feelings; he was undoubtedly in love with Roxas. Despite the fact that 'love' was an emotion that usually made a person feel an almost overwhelming sense of happiness, as if they were on top of the world, the red head couldn't help but feel the exact opposite. He was starting to find it harder to ignore the persistent little voice in his head telling him that he had stayed long enough and should soon be on his way back to Undine. His regiment commander and his king would be wondering why he had not yet returned from his errand. He had been living with Roxas for two months, and away from home for three; it was almost half a year since he had been back home. What if people feared him dead? His home and possessions would have been sold on; he would have nothing upon his return. Despite this, Axel couldn't bring himself to look into Roxas' beautiful pools of blue and tell him that he would soon be leaving. He was almost certain that the news would break the blonds' heart, and the last thing the red head wanted was to be the cause of his shattered happiness.

He also didn't want to appear ungrateful for the fisher mans' hospitality. After all this time he had refused payment from the knight for food and logins. "Help around the house and on fishing trips are more then enough" he had told him, with an almost fatherly pat on the arm. If he up and left now his knightly honour would be questioned. Besides, even if Roxas did happen to return his feelings and they did become a couple, he couldn't take him back to Undine with him; Roxas' parents needed him. They'd need someone to help them with their workload, especially in their elderly years; at least that was his excuse. Also, when he eventually _did _return to Undine, he would be too busy with his knightly duties, and this place was quite far away from his city, so he wouldn't be able to visit often.

However, the thought of a life without Roxas seemed – empty. His knightly duties and accomplishments would mean nothing to him if he had no-one special to fight for. What was he to do?

"Axel, are you alright?" Roxas' voice brought the red head back from his sorrowful thoughts once more. "If you're bored you can have your horse back" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He commanded the horse to trot over to him; the red head gave the blond a forlorn look then sighed softly. He closed his sorrowful emerald eyes for a few seconds in order to prepare himself for the impending heartbreak he was about to bestow upon the boy he loved.

Roxas felt a knot in his stomach as he observed the knights melancholy expression. His eyes drowned with worry as he dismounted the horse and made his way over to Axel. "What troubles you so?" Roxas asked, quite alarmed, as he had never seen the red head like this. What could have possibly happened to have caused such a reaction? Axel sighed a troubled sigh once more-one way or another he would have to tell Roxas his intentions.

"Roxas, um, I-I have something to tell you. I-I think that it will soon be time for me to-to, well, return to Undine". He said; his voice soft and laced with guilt, staring at his knees, unable to meet the blonds' gaze. Roxas' face fell and the light in his eyes flickered out as quickly as a candle flame.

"Go; now? b-but why? Have I done something wrong? Are you unhappy here?" Roxas asked frantically, his voice starting to choke up. Axel waved his hands quickly in front of him, dismissing Roxas' awful assumption; his heart slightly clenching with sadness after hearing Roxas' broken words. Disappointed and slightly angry tears began to form in the blonds' beautiful blue eyes. The knight stood and sighed guiltily; cupping the boys' cheek with his hand, and wiping away a running tear with his thumb. "If it were up to me, I would stay here forever, but I cannot put my own selfish desires first. I have a regiment to fight for, and a king to serve. As much as I'd love to stay here with you, at some point I will have to leave. I can't out stay my welcome any longer".

"But you're not outstaying your welcome!" Roxas cried. "You can stay here as long as you like! We grow our own food, there's no problem there, and I'm very sure that my father would appreciate an extra pair of hands around to help with the work load. Why must you leave? We, we can rebuild the hut to make it more suitable and permanent for your horse. I-we- you're practically family now. Why must you leave?" With this Roxas broke down, tears running down his cheeks.

"Oh, Roxas" Axel sighed softly, pulling the blond into an affectionate embrace, gently nuzzling into his soft hair. At first Roxas refused to return it, angry at the knight. Angry because he had given him something no-one else had ever given him before; the ability to escape from his emptiness, to be able to feel, to laugh, to cry, to express anger – to love. And now the knight was going to take that all away again. His hopes were shattered, and his fate would soon be sealed. Unless-unless he confessed; unless he told Axel everything; even about him not being-_human. _Would the red head still accept him? Or would this be a final incentive for the knight to leave quicker then he originally planned? Roxas finally wrapped his arms around the knights' slim waist and nuzzled his head into his chest. "Axel, I-I need to tell you something. I need to explain everything to you."

"Explain? What do you mean?" Axel asked, now gently resting his chin on the blonds' soft golden hair.

"Explain-explain why I have been having these dreams; about why my parents told you about me usually being emotionally distant towards people; and also the fact that they don't know that I am aware of the fact that -I am not their biological son."

Axel looked surprised at Roxas' speech. He knew that he had been having troubles lately, what with the dreams and all, but he had no idea that his troubles ran so deep; and about him not being that fisherman's own biological son? Perhaps he had overheard his parents discussing the matter and hadn't had the courage to confront them? But if that was the case then why did he make being adopted sound like such a crime?

"Roxas, I do not understand what you're-"

"Please, Axel, just let me finish-without any interruptions. Please? This is going to be hard for me, and I am worried that you will become mad at me, and – never want to see me again." His voice faltered at his last sentence, tears slowly trickling down his face.

"Roxas, why would I ever get mad at you?" Axel chuckled, gently running his fingers through Roxas' spiky locks. Said blond looked down sadly, almost too scared to face Axel as he told him his story. Axel gently lifted Roxas' chin with his hand so that he would look him in the eyes.

"Nothing you could ever do or say could make me never want to see you again" the knight assured, speaking from the bottom of his heart. Roxas blushed a little as green eyes bore into blue.

"Alright" Roxas sighed. "Well, how to begin…"

Axel chuckled warmly. "Perhaps from the very beginning" he teased. Roxas took a deep breath, before slowly releasing it to calm himself.

"Okay, I shall explain" he sighed. Axel nodded, before taking a quick look to see where his horse was, and found it to be grazing a few feet away.

"Let us sit down, first" he suggested, leading Roxas over to the fallen log. Once they were comfortably seated, Roxas began his tale.

"I was born in a completely different world to the one we are in now. I-I came from the sea when I was three years old. Unlike babies here, we remember things from a very early age. I didn't want to be left here, but unfortunate circumstances of my birth lead my parents to believe that leaving me in the human world would be best for me. You see, I was born a mer-child. There are many different types of people of the sea: Mer-folk, water nymphs, water sprites, undine."

_Deep under the vast ocean waters where the elegant crystal clear palace of the mer people lay, a young Mer Queen sat beside her bedroom window over looking the pearl coated houses of her people's homes, which glinted beautifully in the rays of the afternoon sun, bright and strong enough to penetrate even through the dense crystal blue waters. Surrounding sea weed and anemones danced softly in a gentle ebb of an underwater current, the whole kingdom an explosion of colour, from the vast amounts of sea plants to the schools of fish which glinted through the sunlight like little multicoloured diamonds. Despite the wondrous beauty of her surroundings, the most beautiful observation to her soft ocean blue eyes was her new born son, nestled safely in her arms. His hair was golden and spiky, just like his fathers, except for the fact that his fringe curled up into a cowlick. His deep sapphire blue eyes were currently closed, his little tail curled round him as he snuggled deeper into his blanket. His mother smiled with sheer adoration at her new born son. The only thing that caused her delicate brows to furrow with concern was how quite he was. Fear had struck through her like an arrow after the birth, when her son didn't utter a single cry. Fearing the worst her nurse maids and mid wife had checked over the infant, only to find that he was breathing perfectly fine and appeared to be healthy. As they handed him back to his relieved mother and his bright sapphire eyes stared up at her, the Queens' face burst into a wide beautiful relieved smile, overwhelming with happiness. Happy tears ran down her soft rosy cheeks like miniature pearls. To her, he was perfect. Roxas, her perfect little Roxas._

"Although I was physically healthy, they could tell that I wasn't – _normal._ Roxas said shamefully, lowering his eyes into a sad frown. Here he braved a glance at Axels' expression. As he expected, the red head looked shocked, confused and perhaps a little sceptical.

The blond blushed and stared at his knees again, fiddling with his bracelet nervously. He decided to continue with his story, before having to endure Axels' impending flurry of questions, and possible rejection. He had to get his whole story across to the knight first, before he judged him too harshly. "You see, this is perhaps the strangest part of the story, or fearful, depending on how spiritual you are." He took a deep nervous breath, before continuing. "You see, mer-folk are only born with half a soul. Despite this, we are able to live for a very long time; we're not quite mortal, but we're not _immorta_l either. But when we eventually _do _die, we die, there's nothing left of us as spiritual individuals. We merely become part of the natural energy that keeps the ocean and everything in it alive; although we can change into human form at will. Some mer-folk like to walk the lands, in search for a human mate. If they fall in love and marry a human, then they share part of that persons' soul, and become whole. We are also able to maintain our human form forever if we so choose. Although if we chose that particular life we would not live as long as an ordinary mer-person anymore, due to that fact that part of us would be mortal, but we would be able to move on to the afterlife. Eternal youth and beauty, to be with the one we love eternally. However, I was born different…

"_I think things are a lot more complicated then you think Aerith" Cloud said softly._

"_I'm telling you he's fine!" the young Queen insisted. "He's just, well, quiet, that's' all". The King looked at his six month old son sitting in his wife's lap, eyes glazed and gently rattling a toy he clutched in his tiny hands; his eyes appeared to be looking, but not actually seeing._

"_He's fine, cloud, there's no reason to alert the elders!" Aerith said firmly, her beautiful eyes prickling with tears._

"_I'm not saying that there's something _**wrong** _as such, I just think that we need to let them try and find out why he's always so-distant."_

"_Just because he doesn't act like other babies his age, doesn't mean that there's something wrong with him" Aerith said, her voice becoming angrier. The truth was she was afraid. Deep down, she too had had similar thoughts as her husband. At his age, Roxas should have started showing more interest in the world, take in his surroundings, react to things that frightened him or made him happy, he should even have at least begun to try and speak by now, but he did neither of these things. Whether he wasn't able to, or whether he just chose not to she couldn't be sure, but his expression remained blank, his eyes empty; he was a very quiet, withdrawn child. It was almost as if the part of his very soul had been diminished. _

"_Perhaps he just needs to interact with babies his own age, maybe he can learn from them" the Queen suggested, almost pleadingly. She wanted to do what she could for her baby, before even considering taking him to the elders. If that were happened, it would finalise the idea that the situation with her son was serious. He was the future king after all; they had to make sure that he was well, but she feared what the elders might say. _

_Still, she was a strong and determined mer-woman, and who could be better then determining what was best for her son then his own mother? She would do everything she could to help Roxas first._

"From then on I was introduced to other mer-children my age, in hopes that their company would bring me out of my shell, but there was little improvement. I appeared comfortable in the presence of others, but I still didn't seem alert like they were."

_Two and a half years had passed, and the Queen sat elegantly upon her mother of pearl chaise long sofa, draped in her usual finery, with pearls interwoven in her dark tresses and a pearl choker framed her elegant neck. Her tail was decorated with a fine lace sash, also encrusted with pearls, as well as tiny blue sapphires. Her husband stood beside her looking as grand as ever in his fine red jacket, the shoulders decorated with gold trimming and fine golden buttons which ran down the front of the coat, each button exquisitely carved with the royal family crest. Mer people from all classes were present, filling the ballroom with laughter and conversation; for it was Roxas' third birthday, and his parents had arranged a grand party for their beloved son. _

_Queen Aerith watched with a soft smile in an attempt to portray a sense of happiness and pride, but if one chose to look hard enough they would have seen that her usually sparkling ocean eyes betrayed her sense of false hope and sorrow. The king and Queen had tried to socialise Roxas with other mer- children, and although he had become accustomed to the company of others, he still remained quiet and emotionally distant. Aerith couldn't help but smile sadly as she observed the other children playing. A very good friend of hers had a son called Sora, who was Roxas' age. He too had spiky hair, although his was longer then Roxas' and brown rather then blond. _

_Other wise, their face shapes were the same; they even had the same shaped deep sapphire blue eyes. They were so similar in appearance that Aerith's friends often joked about them looking like brothers. However, personality wise, they couldn't be more different. Sora was a bright, happy child with an infectious smile, even his little laughter caused others to follow suit; his bright inquisitive eyes twinkled when he laughed. Roxas' however, still remained glazed over, all he ever managed at most was a meek smile. Cute and sweet non- the less- Aerith thought, but it wasn't something that you could really react to. She watched as Sora offered a toy sea horse to Roxas, who stared at it blankly before taking it gently with the smallest of smiles. The Queen tried to convince herself that his eyes had become a little brighter at the gesture, but deep down she knew it was a desperate mothers' wishful thinking. Sora was happy to receive even the smallest of smiles, and laughed cutely, pleased that he had made his friend happy; although children didn't really expect much as adults did, Aerith supposed. _

_Just then, the King diverted her attention away from their son, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. Aerith looked up at her husband and saw that his eyes were furrowed with concern, looking ahead of him towards the doorway of the ballroom. The Queens eyes pooled with worry as she followed her husbands gaze, and felt her heart constrict as she noticed a few of the members of the elders waiting in the doorway, garbed in their usual navy suit jackets, gold trim also lining the shoulders of their suit jackets, and they too had golden buttons decorating the front of them, however theirs did not display the royal symbol. Some of them carried scrolls and other important documents. The elders were a group of the wisest mer-folk in the kingdom, who acted as advisers to members if the royal family, deciding what actions may be best for the kingdom. They had known about Roxas'-predicament since his birth, but on the Queens' wishes they had allowed things to run their natural course, now that they were here, disrupting Roxas' birthday of all things, Aerith thought angrily, it obviously meant that they had made a very important decision. _

"_Please excuse me" Cloud said, taking his wife's' had briefly, planting a delicate kiss upon it, before heading over to the elders and leaving the ballroom all together, no doubt heading to the throne room to discuss whatever they had to say. Aerith frowned, feeling panic rise within her, causing a sudden urge to rush over to her son and hold him protectively, as if a mere click of the elders fingers would make him disappear. She also noticed the murmurs and whispers from some of the upper class mer-folk, the women trying and failing to conceal their whispers behind their jewelled ring covered hands and fish scaled fans. Yes it was an unfortunate trait for women to gossip, but she found it insulting that they would do so about her only son and their kingdoms' heir. Her irritable thoughts were once more disrupted, this time by one of her husbands' servants coming towards her. He stopped in front of her, bowed his head respectfully, his hands laced behind his back as he stood tall and proud. "Your majesty, King Cloud requests that you bring Prince Roxas to the throne room, he has some important matters he would like to discuss with you". _

_Aerith clutched a hand to her chest, her fears confirmed. Trying to prevent panic from overwhelming her, she gracefully stood from her seat and made her way to Roxas. "Come along sweetie, your father wishes to see us in the throne room; you can come back and play later". She gently scooped up her son, who looked up at her briefly before continuing to play with the toy sea horse Sora had handed to him. Sora looked up sadly for a moment, but he was soon joined by Yuffie and Riku, two other children who he often played with. Their mothers smiled respectively up at Aerith as they placed their normal, happy babies beside Sora, who soon forgot about Roxas leaving and carried on playing quite happily._

_Queen Aerith smiled meekly at her friends and tried to ignore the stares she received from other mer-folk as she gently swam by, holding Roxas close to her as if to shield him from their knowing gazes, escorted by the servant, unable to prevent the odd tear escaping from her eyes despite her desperation to appear strong as she made her way through the ballroom doors, feeling almost like her son was condemned. _

Axel was glad he was sitting down. This story was already preposterous, but what could Roxas probably gain by lying to him, and about such a strange subject, too. He _must _have been telling the truth, no matter how strange his story was. A few months ago, Axel had experienced enough enchantment to know that there were many more mysterious beings in the world, and throughout the time he'd known him, Roxas had never given him a reason to think that he was a liar. Axel swallowed roughly and nodded, signalling to Roxas that he could continue.

"Unlike every other mer-person, I was born without a soul at all. My destiny among my world was uncertain. You see" here Roxas became shy, flushing slightly. "I-I am the prince of the mer-people. Everyone was worried what would happen to me, and knew that it wouldn't be possible for me to rule them in my-condition. So they decided to send me to the human world in hopes that my experiences here will help me to gain a soul of my own. Or, if I could marry a human-"

"You could share their soul?" Axel finished for him, in a quiet slightly bewildered voice. Roxas nodded, looking at his knees again.

"So, in order for that to happen, they had to leave me here…"

"_What? Cloud what are you saying! How could you even suggest such a thing?" Queen Aerith cried, outraged and heartbroken that her husband was actually going to go through with the elders' decision. _

"_Aerith, this is the last thing that I wanted for our son, but I don't think we have any other choice" Cloud said in a soft guilt laced voice._

"_But _**abandoning **_him on land, while he's still so young? Cloud, he could die! You can't possibly mean to go through with this!"_

"_I would never leave our son on land to fend for himself. We will leave him for a human couple to raise; perhaps experiencing life in a different world will help Roxas find a way to gain a soul. Otherwise, well, who knows what would happen."_

"_A _**human **_couple? Cloud, _**we **_are his parents, who could do a better job then us?" Aerith cried, tears now streaming down her cheeks as she realised that she was loosing the battle with her husband. A father could love his child, but they would never understand the deep maternal bond a mother had with her baby. _

"_Aerith, please-" Cloud began, trying to reach out for his wife, who backed away from his touch, clutching Roxas to her as tightly as she could without hurting him, afraid that one of the men in the room would snatch him away as soon as she let her guard down. _

"_Aerith, we've tried everything we can, it's been three years and Roxas still hasn't made sufficient improvement. Perhaps a new environment and new experiences will help him"._

_Aerith looked forlornly at her son, who's eyes wandered to and from his father and the elders, his expression still remained blank. He stirred slightly and looked up as he felt the pearl like tears softly fall upon his head as his mother cried softly into his hair; Trembling slightly as she held her son. She felt like a failure as a mother. For three years she had tried, and still had not been able to help her son. Deep down she knew that something else had to be done if they were going to help Roxas, but she couldn't bear to give him away to anyone else. What if even the human couple couldn't help Roxas? She would be loosing her son for nothing. He may be unresponsive most of the time, but it was better then not having him around at all._

"_Your majesty, please, we are just thinking about what would be best for the kingdom. How can Roxas possibly continue the family rein if he is in such a condition? How will he be able to rule his people?" an elder named Eraqus said firmly. Eraqus was a distinguished samurai in his younger years, and had taught Cloud and his most trusted guard and friend Leon in the art of sword mastery. He was the elder Cloud trusted the most, and if he had a firm opinion of something, then more often then not Cloud would listen. _

_Aerith sighed shakily. "So this is something that you've all agreed to? This is your final decision?" Cloud took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before announcing his hurtful decision to his heartbroken mate. After all, despite the fact that he believed this was the best and only way forward for his son and his people, he felt guilty for having made the final decision without her present. _

"_It is" he said softly. Aerith bit her lip and looked forlornly at Roxas, gently running a hand through his hair. "So what happens now? What's the next step?" she said in a broken whisper. "What is to become of our boy?"_

"_We shall take him to Larxene; she will have ways to enable Roxas to live on land for a longer period of time."_

"_The sea witch? Cloud, you know how dangerous she is, what makes you think that she'll be willing to help us?" Suddenly Aerith felt a surge of over protectiveness flow through her blood, feeling more afraid at the thought of having Larxene decide the fate of her son then the elders. She clung to Roxas once more, a little too firmly, making him whimper slightly. _

"_Be careful my love, you're hurting him" Cloud said firmly, moving forward to take Roxas from her. Aerith reluctantly allowed her husband to take their son into his arms, wrapping her own around her waist for comfort. Cloud rested his forehead gently onto Roxas' and looked into his almost curious eyes, which stared up at him. Cloud was almost ashamed at himself for thinking for the briefest of seconds that the little Prince probably didn't even acknowledge the fact that his own father was looking at him; once more he was most likely looking but not seeing. He tried to push these thoughts to the back of his mind; surely despite his problems he was still able to recognise his own parents? Still, this made him all the more determined to seek the help of the sea witch. He didn't want his son to not recognise his own father. He didn't want his son to live his life if he wasn't going to experience it. "Please understand my love; I just want what's best for our son." Aerith took a deep breath and released it slowly, nodding gently. She would miss him dearly, she was certain Cloud would too, but he was right, this was now way for her son to live; in complete un-aware solitude, oblivious to the world. It just wasn't fair. _

"_Alright" she said softly. "Lets' take him to Larxene"._

"Naturally, mer-people can only stay on land for a certain period of time. Yes, we can change form at will, but the ability only lasts so long, unless of course we marry. In order for me to stay on land for years, without having married a human, a human would have to be taken to the sea as a replacement."

_The King and Queen swam with purpose, along with Leon and a group of other palace guards, who swam along each side protectively, carrying spears, swords and shields. Golden body armour garbed their torsos; fine helmets similar to that of Roman soldiers protected their heads. Larxene lived much further out away from the palace, away from the interruptions and burdens of other mer-folk. _

_A few miles out to sea they approached a treacherous looking cavern, dark and deep lined with jaggered edges. Hot water emitted every now and then from underwater geysers, unexpected and vicious if one got too close. Deadly looking plants guarded the area, which was enriched with toxic colours. You could almost consider the area eerily beautiful, if you didn't know about the dangerous poisons that each plant held within its veins. _

_Suddenly a nearby geyser rumbled threateningly, before scorching hot water burst from its belly. The guards pulled the Queen away and scattered just in time, but it was Leons' quick reaction that only just managed to pull Cloud to safety before his skin was scorched from his body. Cloud quickly recovered from his shocked stupor, and silently scalded himself for being too wrapped up in his own thoughts and not paying attention to his surroundings. He turned to Leon with an appreciative smile, temporarily held onto his arm and nodded to him in silent thanks. Leon returned the smile, repeating the hand gesture, before the two rejoined with the rest of the group. Roxas whimpered slightly at the sudden threat, but his mother gently shushed him, calming him down with a few softly spoken words of comfort. A pang of sadness swept through her as she thought about the fact the only time Roxas showed any kind of noticeable emotion was when he was afraid. The group continued on, a little wearily this time, should they run into any more hidden dangers. Tension rose deep into the pits of their stomachs, as they approached the mouth of the cave where the sea witch resided. The guards subconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons, Aerith held Roxas closer, looking around for every and any possibly danger. _

_Vines hung from the mouth of the cave like the tendrils of a deadly sea creature, waving softly in an underwater current, almost as if they were coxing them to come closer with a false send of security, like an invisible spider web to a fly. Roxas whimpered slightly once more and clung to his mother; Aerith calming him down by shushing and gently rubbing his back. Cautiously they made their way further into the cave, the guards sticking close to the royal family, eyeing the vines as if they were a snake about to strike. Jaggered teeth - like stalagmites reached out from the floor of the cave, making it a little more difficult to manoeuvre, through the centre of the cave; instead they had to weave in and out towards the sides of the cave – closer and closer to the vines._

_Suddenly, just as Aerith brushed passed the wall with her tail a vine snapped into action and reached out for her. She let out a surprised scream, alerting the guard nearest to her, who sprung into action, slicing the vine with his sword. He managed to cut the vine in half, causing a strange squealing sound to emit from the vine. Upon seeing this, the other guards, even Cloud, drew their swords, surrounding the Queen protectively and just in time. In response to the vines' little shrike the other vines had also spring to life, snapping like whips as they attempted to grasp onto the men. Making sure that they kept the Queen and Roxas out of reach from the attacks, the guards and the King slashed out at the vines, cutting them to pieces, the whole cave a chorus of screams emitting from the plants, the ones that weren't sliced quite enough to be killed retreated back into holes in the cave walls._

_Soon they were all surrounded by a deadly forest of green, tentacles cutting through skin and armour from all directions. Leon soon found himself backed up against the wall, vines attacking him from all directions. Whilst he was busy fighting off the ones at eye level, a vine came from above and tightened round his neck, dragging him towards the ceiling. He struggled, trying to cut himself free, and held onto the vine with his free hand, trying to loosen its grip but to no avail. Suddenly a whooshing sound swept by his ears, the tightness loosened and he found that he could breathe again. Clutching his throat and coughing, he tuned to see Cloud glaring at the remains of the vine, then smiling at him. "Just returning the favour" he said, making his friend smirk, almost as if they had been competing to see who was better at saving who._

_They nodded to each other, before turning back to back and fighting along side each other, just as they had when they were training._

_The fight continued until one vine remained, larger and stronger then what the others were. A guard holding a large round shield lunged at the vicious plant, only to be thrown back into the opposite wall by a powerful lashing, his shield and sword falling to the ground – leaving Aerith open to attack._

_The vine snapped forwards once more, but Aerith, a sudden protective instinct surging through her, quickly grasped onto the hilt of the guards' sword and slashed it down through the vine, then slashing once more to ensure that it was destroyed completely. __**Nothing **__was going to harm __**her**__ baby. She glared at what remained of the vine as the remnants gently flowed down to the ground; the others staring at her in shock, and admiration. Cloud looked proudly at his wife. Despite her usual calm and peaceful nature she was more then capable to fight with a sword. Cloud had taught her particular techniques when they were younger so that she would be able to defend herself. Spending that time together was how they began courting in the first place. Clearly she still remembered them – or she was still secretly practising them. The latter wouldn't surprise him. "Are you alright?" she asked the guard whose sword she had used. He bowed his head sheepishly and muttered "yes your majesty", inwardly promising to practise his fighting technique to perfection, so that the same thing wouldn't happen again._

_Aerith smiled kindly, before running her fingers through Roxas' hair, worried that the sudden attack would have upset him, but this time he merely looked up at her silently, his eyes slightly wider then usual. She liked to think to herself that he was inwardly impressed with her, too. Smiling softly once more, she looked up at her party and said "so let's go. We didn't go through all that for nothing." _

_Taking one last look around them, their eyes lingering up at the holes in the walls - just in case there were any final sneak attacks – the guards and the King and Queen swam on through, a little bruised and sore, but non worst for wear._

_Shortly afterwards the cave opened up into a larger area. The walls were as dark and foreboding as the rest of the cave, except for a small glowing well like pit in the middle of the room, which emitted a strange acid green and yellow colour. Part of the rock walls stuck out slightly and had been used as shelves for various shaped and sized bottles, with all kinds of unknown, brightly coloured liquids, some with various organs from unfortunate sea creatures and even eyeballs floating within them. No doubt these were used for the sea witches' potions. Shadows formed from the bleak light coming from the well reaching out over the walls, almost like long pointed clawed hands, poised and ready to drag them into the dark hidden depths of the room._

_The guards surrounded the King and Queen, weapons poised. Even though they had made it to the sea witch in one piece, there was no guarantee that she would help them, or how angry she would be about them trespassing on her land, so precautions had to be taken. _

_At the far end of the cave, lay another tunnel covered with sea weed. Assuming that it lead to the witches' quarters, they cautiously made their way over. At the foot of the tunnel, Cloud cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Larxene; we have come for your assistance." For a brief moment there was no answer, perhaps she chose to ignore them? Just as Cloud was about to speak again, a voice answered "how rude of you to disturb a lady in her own home without permission." A young mer-woman with short blond hair with strange antenna like bangs came through and scowled at the newcomers; her long black tail trailing behind her, black fins with white spots trailed down the base of it and the same flowing fin sat on each side of her slim waist. The same type of fin-like appendages trailed down her arms, finishing at her wrist, leading the eye to her pale webbed hands. She was a beautiful yet intimidating sight. _

"_I see you managed to get by my carnivorous tendril plant, you must _**really **_need my help to have wanted to risk getting yourselves eaten. Most__wisely give up and leave while they can or are unfortunate enough to become a meal."_

_Leon swallowed roughly, he was extremely glad that the plant hadn't managed to pull him into the hole in the ceiling. Horrid images of a ghastly sharp toothed mouth entered his mind, tearing and shredding the flesh of its unfortunate victims; an ice cold shudder ran through him, he shook his head to try and diminish the horrid images flashing through his mind. He would have to thank Cloud once more when they left here._

"_So, why are you here?" the sea witch demanded; her eyes flashing dangerously. _

_What could be so important that the royal family has to grace me with their presence?" she added sardonically._

_She was intimidating in personality as well as in appearance. Still, Cloud was King of the mer-people, and he wasn't about to back down. "My son is in need of your help. Ever since he was born we have known that he was – _**different." **_He was carful not to say _**abnormal **_or something equivalent, for fear of offending Aerith. Larxene crossed her arms impatiently and observed the little mer-prince sitting quietly in his mothers arms. Aerith subconsciously tightened her hold on her son, feeling nervous by the intense unimpressed expression on the sea witches' face._

"_He has never really reacted to anything, he's always quiet and distant, he never interacts with anyone or reacts to things as a child his age should. We've tried everything, but now the elders have decided that he should come to you for advice, if you are willing to help" Cloud continued, trying no to let his frustrated, sad feelings show through his words._

_Larxene scoffed. "Your child's problems are your problems, I do not see why you came all the way here for my help just for this" she said rather rudely. Next to Cloud Leon frowned. He didn't care if she was a powerful sorceress, he would be having more then words if she dared to continue disrespecting the King in such a manner. He gripped his sword firmer, but made attempts to calm himself after receiving warning glares from the other guards. Cloud however continued to keep eye contact with the witch, outwardly appearing unfazed by her rudeness. "The elders have decided that the best thing to do for him would be to send him to live amongst humans, to gain new experiences in a different world, but in order to do so we require your magic". Larxene huffed in irritation. She quickly moved forward to take Roxas from his mother. Aerith made a move to avoid the witches' advance, suddenly more afraid seeing that she was angry; but she took the baby anyway. "You want me to help him don't you? How can I if you won't let me see him" she snapped, taking Roxas and examining his eyes with her disapproving ones. She had a particular disliking for children, holding one was even harder for her to tolerate. She placed a hand on Roxas' head and muttered an incantation. Roxas suddenly became very withdrawn in her presence, his eyes became darker and emptier then usual, as if the witches' very touch had drained all remaining life out of his little body. Larxene 'tisked' then took the baby over to the shelves of bottles, searching for a particular potion. She chose a round purple bottle and made her way over to the strange glowing pit in the middle of the floor. Tipping its content into the pit she muttered a few inaudible incantations. Gradually a pale peach coloured smoke rose up from the pit, and with a few swift yet elegant looking hand movements Larxene managed to control the smoke and appeared to lift it up towards her as one would for something solid, yet it still remained wispy like smoke, almost as if she had developed the ability to control the elements. With a few more of the same elegant controlled hand movements she moved the smoke over Roxas, once more muttering incantations. She held her hand above his head, whilst the little mer-prince continued to stare blankly, his mind in his own little world. _

_An aura of light formed around Roxas for a brief moment, but faded away as soon as it had appeared; Larxene 'humphed' in realisation. _

"_Well, this certainly is something interesting. For once the elders gave you some useful advice" she said finally, gladly relieving herself of Roxas, firmly handing him back to Aerith. Cloud narrowed his eyes at the comment, but only said "so what have you discovered?" _

"_Well, anyone could see merely by looking at the child that his mental awareness is not normal. So the spell I used was used to establish his spiritual awareness, and his response was very weak"._

"_So what are you saying?" Aerith asked with a small voice._

"_I'm saying" Larxene answered, impatiently; "your son does not have a soul. Not even half, as a mer-person should."_

"_That's' preposterous!" Aerith cried angrily. "He shows fear, he even shows happiness sometimes, although they are in very small amounts, he still has emotion! You must be wrong!" She nuzzled her head into Roxas' hair as Cloud wrapped his arms around her in comfort._

"_Don't come here, interrupt me in my own home demanding that I help you and then tell me I'm wrong!" the seas witch yelled, her eyes flashing dangerously, her posture suggesting that she was close to striking. The guards prepared themselves for a possible attack. _

"_Forgive me wife, it is just that we have never heard of a case where a person has been born without a soul. Of course it is hard for us to believe." Cloud said, as calmly as he could, resting his chin on top of Aerith's head, wrapping his tail around her in comforting affection. _

"_Well you came to me for help and that is what I have found. If living in this world hasn't helped him by now, then there is no future for him here. You even sought the elders help and do not want to believe what they have told you. Believe what you want, but if he is to change then sending him to the human world is the only move forward. If you still refuse to believe me then get out! You've wasted enough of my time already!" She turned to leave and make her way back into the tunnel to her quarters again, but Cloud released Aerith and held out a hand to try and stop her. _

"_No, wait, please, we did not intend to offend you or insult your knowledge of magic." To his relief Larxene stopped, but she glared at him over her shoulder, torn between staying to hear what the King had to say or whether to simply leave them to their own problems as she originally wanted. _

"_What do you suggest we do? He cannot stay on land for long without powerful magic" Cloud continued. _

_Larxene sighed impatiently and turned once more to face him. "The only way he can hope to gain a soul is by marrying a human, but he will have to wait years before that can happen, so he will have to live amongst the humans to try and help him at least gain a personality". Aerith scowled at this harsh comment. The witch didn't know her son at all, how _**dare **_she?_

"_So will you use your magic to help him stay on land for that long?"_

"_It's not that simple" Larxene responded, as if the King lacked intelligence. "A replacement will have to be taken from land for this to work. I would need to summon my water sprites to scour the land to find a child with a spiritual connection to the sea. It may take weeks, months, too much of my time, and I see no profit in it for me."_

_Aerith bit her lip to try and prevent tears from spilling. They'd been through this whole ordeal for nothing. "What could you possibly wish to gain? You choose to live alone away from the castle, your magic enables you to gain things without the use of money; what could we possibly give you to change your mind?" _

_Larxene wrinkled her nose at the very thought of having to ask anyone for anything. It was the royal family-Clouds ancestors-that were responsible for the decline in magic users in the sea. Larxene's family had tried to keep their magic abilities to themselves, but they were discriminated against, sent away to live in exile because they didn't realise the full potential of natural magically gifted people, and superstitions lead them to believe that all magic was bad, and droved those capable away, or worse. Over time all of her family had perished, one by one, until she was alone. Yes it was her ancestors who were more hard done by, but she had still paid the price for Clouds' families' actions, even if they weren't aimed at her directly. After all, once Cloud had taken the throne he had changed the law enabling magic users to use their abilities providing of course that they did so without malicious intent, but after years of struggling Larxene had become bitter and hateful. Why would she want to live amongst the people who had discriminated against her family and others like her? They all thought too highly of themselves, Larxene thought; she never wanted to be considered 'equal' among them. If anything _**they**_ should try and make themselves feel equal to __**her**__. At least that is how she viewed things._

_Suddenly a thought occurred to her. She glanced at the little prince still sitting quietly in his mothers' arms and smirked. She swam over to a large book standing on another stone shelf near the potions and turned to the page she was thinking of to confirm things. The others watched her curiously, hoping that she had decided to help them, but they knew nothing of the selfish plots that were currently forming in her mind. She found the page that she was searching for and confirmed her original theories. On the extremely rare occasion when a mer-person was born without a soul at all, they were often feared and discriminated against, as a soulless person was considered to be more susceptible to being possessed with evil and dark magic. Of course it had been hundreds of years since the last cases were written, but without their own soul, enabling them to feel compassion and empathy, the right black magic could be used to make that person obey the sorcerer or sorceress and them alone, and do whatever they bid them to do, regardless of what it was. They could even be controlled to kill their families without a second thought-susceptible to so much power. With that kind of power on her side she could summon her water sprites and creatures of the shadow world to put an end to Clouds' families' rein. Why reside in a cave when you can reside in a castle and own the entire kingdom with it? Yes she would send him to live on land, but to grow and gain in strength; even if he didn't develop emotionally he would physically. Life on land was hard after all. Plus, her help would gain temporary trust with the royal family, so when her plan was ready to commence, she could finally destroy the weak kingdom of the mer-people, and what could possibly be better then using their own prince, controlled by dark powerful magic, to do so? She knew that she was their last hope to help their son, but would they agree to any price? Of course they wouldn't know of her plan, but would they be willing to face the possible consequences they must face for this spell to work? And more importantly could she do everything that she could to prevent the prince from gaining a soul?_

_After studying the ingredients that this particular spell required, she placed it back onto the shelf and made her way over to the group once more. "Alright, I shall help you. It should be possible with the right spell. I can enable your son to walk upon land until his sixteenth year, which should be sufficient time. Most humans are married long before that. By then, if he has any hope of becoming normal at all, he would have shared a soul with a human by then."_

"_Oh, thank you!" Aerith cried, too grateful about the fact that the witch was willing to help to question her sudden change of mind. Cloud however was more suspicious. Why was she suddenly so willing to help them? Larxene made her way over to the potions shelf once more; picking a concoction of different liquids, some various plants, and certain other unusual items into the fiery pit in the cave floor. Speaking the same language as her pervious incantations, which they could now tell was Latin, the King, Queen and guards watched almost in awe at the sea witch work. Puffs of acidic green smoke emitted from the pit each time Larxene added something, until a final much larger puff of smoke exploded up to the cave ceiling, signalising the completion of her potion. The group were eager to see what she had created, but felt their interest and hope sink greatly when she presented them with what appeared to be a sea berry. "This is all you came up with?" One of the guards exclaimed, without thinking. Larxene growled almost savagely. _

"_How _**dare **_you question me! How _**dare **_you!" The guard flinched back slightly despite himself. Larxene was so angry that she was a hairs width away from obliterating the man altogether, but after closing her eyes, breathing deeply, she thought better of it; after all, if her plan was to work then she had to remain in good terms with the royal family. Obliterating one of the palace guards certainly wasn't a good way to do that. Cloud glared at the offending guard, worried that the witch would now change her mind, but was more surprised then relieved when she managed to press down her anger and say firmly yet calmly "this contains one of my strongest form changing spells. A sea berry will be must easier to feed to your child then trying to force him to drink something, he might not like the taste, and he must have the _**whole **_potion for it to work. A sea berry will disguise the taste and make it easier to ensure he takes the whole dosage." She handed the berry to Aerith; Roxas remained quiet and distant as usual. "Give this to him when you are by the sea shore and say these words: __Swim ex__profundum , ingredior ut brevis , incultus vestri sedecim annus. Lucrum verus diligo animus , quod profundum mos exspectata vos iterum. It had always been a pain, but Aerith especially was glad that they had been forced to learn the ancient mother of languages during her years of studying. _

"_By then my water sprites will have searched the land for a child worthy of the exchange, they would have to live close enough. _

'_At least Aerith will still have the chance to be a mother' Cloud thought, trying to see some positive sides to this plan; and then, hopefully, if all went well, their son would return to them, happy and normal, as he should be, and they could rule the kingdom together. Or perhaps this was wishful thinking, but this is all they had to hope for right now, the alternative was much too horrible to even think about. Aerith bowed her head in thanks. "You have no idea how grateful we are for your help" she said softly. Larxene merely waved dismissively. "Enough, you must leave now"._

_She had already spent more then enough time in the presence of others for one day. "What of the carnivorous plant?" one of the guards asked nervously._

"_If you have injured it enough to have made it in here in one piece then it will not guard my dwellings again. Fear not though, I shall find a much more deadly replacement for it" Larxene added, an almost evil smirk appearing on her face. Swallowing roughly, unsure if the witch was jesting, the guard followed the others escorting Aerith out of the witches premises. Once they had left, Larxene stopped Cloud in his tracks. "A final word" she said. When Cloud turned to her she said "I didn't think the Queen would agree to this if she knew the whole situation."_

"_What do you mean? There were hidden motives to your services?"_

"_Well yes, and no" Larxene replied with a sly knowing smile. "I may have chosen to help you, but be warned and take heed." Here she became very serious; "If the Prince does not gain a soul by his sixteenth year, he shall loose his heart, his will and his life, to become a mere empty shell of his former self. If he fails, he shall belong to me". Clouds eyes widened. No wonder she was suddenly so eager to help. She was their _**only **_chance to help their son, and yet what she wanted in return was too much to give up. Roxas would be worse off then what he was now? What did she mean he would belong to her? What use could he possibly be to her in that state?_

"_Although I'm sure if your wife knew that, she would think twice before going through with this, would she not?" Cloud thought about it and decided that Larxene was probably right. He scowled at the witch; he just _**knew **_that there had to be a catch to this. "Fare well Cloud. Fear not, you will soon have a new, more worthy child to raise". With that she held out her arms and spoke a few more words in Latin, and shortly after strange mist like apparitions appeared next to her, a strange haunting laughter filled the room. Larxene turned to her servants. "Find a child with the soul of the sea, they must be no older then three years of age and live within the closest land mark to here. Bring them to me. Now go!" The apparitions obeyed and disappeared to find who would soon become Clouds foster child. But how were they to get here without drowning? The only way to live underwater without having married a mer-person was to eat a special type of plant simply called water weed, which enabled them to live underwater without requiring air, but they only grew deep underwater. "You miss nothing, do you?" Larxene said, almost as if she had read the Kings' mind. "They will not drown as long as they are with my servants. Then you must keep them on regular intakes of water weed. Other then that, things will be as normal. Now leave me, I have done enough for you, and you have outstayed your welcome." Cloud frowned at her still obvious lack of respect, but bowed his head briefly with a small "thank you for all you have done" and made his way back out of the cave, where he rejoined with his group. Now began the hardest part of their journey. They would have one more night together at the palace, before their final journey the next day, when they would take Roxas to land and leave him for another human couple to raise._

"We can only stay on land for a certain period of time." Roxas said, continuing his story. "Yes, we can change form at will, but the ability only lasts so long, unless of course we marry. In order for me to stay on land for years, without having married a human, they would have to take a human as a replacement. So Larxene sent out the water sprites-servants of powerful mer-folk- to search for a suitable replacement. The closest family, and the easiest opportunity open to them, was the fisherman's daughter."

Axel immediately gasped at this statement. What was Roxas saying? That they had killed a small child in order for him to live on the land in her place; a selfish act purely to gain his own soul?

"She was younger then me" Roxas continued. "About one year old, I think; but they found that she was spiritually connected to the water. There was something special about her that the spirits were drawn to. There couldn't be a more convenient human to complete the exchange; so they took her." he swallowed roughly, and took the bracelet off, holding it in front of him, as if seeing it in a different light.

_The next day sent a wave of great sadness through Aerith as she watched the sleeping child in her arms. She had kept Roxas in her bed that night, wanting to keep him with her for as long as possible. Today was her last day with her son. She promised herself that she would remain strong, but she couldn't prevent her eyes from prickling with tears as she dwelt on how peaceful and beautiful he was, sleeping innocently and innocently unaware that his parents were going to abandon him later that day. Her chest constricted painfully; she was almost certain that her heart had broken. She noticed that Cloud had already awoken and had left the room. Slowly she moved out of bed, carefully picking up Roxas as she did so. He stirred slightly and whimpered sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his little fists, before looking up at Aerith with his big blue eyes. His mother smiled as best as she could, as if Roxas would have known that she was sad and worry if she didn't and said "come now Roxas, let us find your father". She slowly made her way out of the royal bed chamber, its mother of pearl walls with high ceilings and pearl chandeliers glinting in the early morning sun did nothing to lift her mood the way it usually did. She made her way to the Royal chambers where she assumed her husband would be, and true enough he was, along with the elders, Leon and a few of his guards, all who were looking at something that Cloud was holding. Aerith frowned curiously and swam closer cautiously. A few of the guards outside of the circle noticed the Queens' presence first and alerted the others, who stood to attention out of respect. The elders looked up towards her, their eyes knowing, some pitiful. Cloud took a deep breath and turned to his wife; "Aerith, look who the sprites have brought us", he said softly. "She's very beautiful" he added gently, revealing a little baby girl, currently nestled in his arms, with hair quite long for a child her age, and skin the softest peach; a little white cotton dress covered her body. However it was her eyes that caught Aeriths' attention. They were large and almost shaped like tear drops, and were the most beautiful deep shade of blue. "The sprites told me that her name was Namine. We are going to raise her" Cloud said, hoping that knowing that they were still going to have a chance at being parents would make the separation from Roxas a little easier to bear. "We've given her some water weed, a little softer then usual, she's only one years old." Cloud chuckled a little "you should have seen her face when we first gave it to her, she wasn't very impressed". Aerith tried to smile at what would become her little girl, sitting comfortably in her new father's arms, eyes bright and alert, looking around her curiously, her little feet kicking casually. Although Aerith agreed that Namine was beautiful, she couldn't help but think of her human mother, and what a beautiful gem she had lost. Roxas glanced at Namine, eyes still dull, yet he didn't look away from her for a little while, almost as if he was trying to figure out whom he was looking at. "So, what do we do now?" Aerith asked, although deep down she already knew the answer. Clouds' brief brave smile disappeared, and he frowned sadly. _

"_Your majesty, it is time to take Roxas to the surface. He must be taken to Namine's parents, they will raise him." An elder said softly. Aerith's eyes filled with tears and she nodded. Namine was left with Master Eraqus and the other elders, and the King, Queen and the guards made their way towards the nearest strip of land, the area Namine had come from._

"My human mother originally made this bracelet for her, but she gave it to me on the day that they found me. I keep this as a constant reminder to myself what I needed to do; what I was here for, and what Larxene and the elders had said I need to do…"

_The wind billowed viciously through the night air; storm clouds as black as night suffocated the skies. The ocean waters churned and heaved, crashing into the rocks which lay just off the shore. It was here that Aerith, cloud, Leon and a few of his most trusted guards waited. Despite her promise to herself to remain strong during the last moments she had with her baby son, Aerith couldn't stop herself from crying. Her arms trembled not only from the cold winds but from the utter heartbreak. She felt as though her heart was being slowly ripped from her chest. She kept tying to tell herself that this is what was best for her son, but knowing that it would be perhaps many years before she was able to set eyes upon him again hurt her terribly. She sobbed softly into his hair; taking in its sweet sea salty scent for what she felt was the last time. Despite Roxas' usual dazed behaviour, he too seemed uneasy. Perhaps it was the violent thrashes of the waves, or perhaps deep down he could sense his mothers' misery, but for once he came out of his usual dazed stupor he looked around his surroundings whimpering slightly at what he saw. Still, he had always felt safe with his mother, even if he was never able to show it, so surely things would be alright. He looked up at her, his beautiful eyes wide and almost weary about what they were doing in such a strange place in such frightful weather, but if his mother had brought him here, then he knew that everything would be okay. This reaction was perhaps only an assumption from the broken hearted queen of what may actually be going on through Roxas' mind as she watched him. What if he really did think something was wrong? What would he think when they left him alone on the beach. He would think that they didn't love him, that he had done something wrong. This very thought made Aerith cry even more. _

_She thought about the little girl who Larxene had ordered her water sprites to bring back; a child worthy of replacing their son; little Namine. She too was perfect, ocean blue eyes, fair hair as gold as the early morning sun, the softest skin. Her mother would be missing her terribly; perhaps even more so then how she was feeling about leaving Roxas. Namine's mother must have thought that her little girl was dead. Leaving a child was distressing enough, but to make a mother think such an awful thing? This was wrong._

"_Its' time Aerith" Cloud said softly. A King never showed weakness to his people, no matter how they may be feeling, but his eyes, although appearing hard and cold, were beginning to fill with tears. He placed a hand lovingly on his sons' head. Roxas briefly looked up at his father with wide, blank eyes, Cloud trying to smile encouragingly though his sadness, before Roxas looked once more over to the shore. Aerith took a deep breath and hugged her son tightly for the final time before softly whispering the spell the sea witch had dictated to her:_

"_Swim ex__profundum , ingredior ut brevis , incultus vestri sedecim annus. Lucrum verus diligo animus , quod profundum mos exspectata vos iterum". _

_Then she handed Roxas the sea berry the witch had dosed with the potion, to give him the legs of a human instead of the fins of a mer-boy. Roxas gently took the berry from his mother, thinking that it was ordinary food. Once the berry was consumed, he looked up at his mother and gave her the same meek smile he had given Sora. Almost immediately afterwards the effects began to take place. The Queens' lips trembled as she watched the changes take place, turning her son into a form he wouldn't know. The guards looked on in awe, Leon glancing over at Clouds' fixed, stern expression, before turning his attention back to the mer-prince, who was no longer a mer-person. In her arms Queen Aerith now held at a three year old human boy, who looked at his legs with mild interest, kicking them about cutely. She nuzzled her head into his hair, whispering through running tears "We love you very much, please don't ever forget that". She slowly made her way to the shore, while Cloud watched silently, taking every ounce of self- control he had not to shed tears, but failed as a few managed to slip through his heartbroken eyes, though fortunately for him only Leon saw, but the guard said nothing. _

_Aerith placed her son gently onto the sand, holding Roxas to steady him. He would take a while to get used to standing. "Stay here my love; some nice people will come to look after you. One day, when you're older, things will work out, and you-you can come back to us." She hugged Roxas from behind, and tried to smile as he looked back up at her. Slowly, very slowly, she released him, and backed away into the water. Roxas watched for a while before whimpering and holding out his arms to be picked back up, but Aerith merely shook her head. Choking through tears she whispered "no Roxas, my beautiful Roxas, you can't come back." She tried, but she could not tear her eyes away from her son. But she wished she had, because for the first time in his short life she saw those beautiful eyes well up as he tried to stumble towards her; whimpering with his arms outstretched. Aerith felt as though her throat had closed up, and found that she couldn't speak another word; instead she shook her head sorrowfully and turned away, making her way back towards her husband and the others. It was then that the king and Queens' hearts finally shattered, because their son started crying, his frightened eyes looking towards them as his little fists tried to wipe away his tears. Aerith clenched her fists and tried desperately to ignore the pitiful sound of her baby's cries, and swam further away from her son, who began to cry harder._

_Thunder cracked in the air, and the wild winds continued to sweep by, carrying Roxas' frightened cries away with them. The King, Queen and their guards were waiting behind the large off shore boulders again, longing for the human foster parents to come, for Roxas' cries were becoming too hurtful to bear. His little heartbroken whimpers and sobs stung his parents' heart, and Aerith began to find it harder and harder to resist rushing forwards, scooping up her precious son and holding him once again in her arm, apologising again and again for even considering this plan in the first place._

_As if reading her mind, Cloud placed a hand carefully but firmly onto her shoulder. Such an action would only make things worse. "Come along Aerith, perhaps we should go, the human couple will be here soon" he said softly. But Aerith shook her head firmly; despite how painful it was to watch her son like this, she refused to leave until she knew that he would be alright._

_Suddenly, muffled voices could be heard not too far off in the distance, and appeared to be coming closer. The wind and thunder seemed to calm down a little, almost as if they were trying to hear themselves, or that they actually wanted the owners of the voices to hear Roxas, who was still crying his little eyes out, looking at where his mother had been, too afraid of the still ever vicious waters to try and return to her. The voices grew louder, and Aerith let out a small sob. This was it, this would be the last time she saw her son, his future amongst the mer-people rested on his upbringing of these very people. Cloud swallowed roughly, remembering what the sea witch had told him- the awful consequences which would curse the little prince; and the very mer kingdom itself if he did not obtain a soul by his sixteenth year. _

"_Be warned and take heed. If the Prince does not gain a soul by his sixteenth year, he shall loose his heart, his will and his life, to become a mere empty shell of his former self. If he fails, he shall belong to me"._

_He prayed to all and any deities out there, and all spirits of the sea that there plan would work. The voices grew louder, and soon two humans came into sight, both in peasant clothing. Roxas' parents worried about this, hoping that Roxas would be able to survive healthily enough until his sixteenth. Would he be warm enough in their home? Would he have enough food? What if he became sick? Cloud and Aerith felt a hand lay on their shoulders. "We should leave now, the humans must not see us here" Leon said softly. Cloud nodded after a brief hesitation, placing a hand on Aeriths' arm. "Come" he said simply, taking one last look at his son, and disappearing back into the black churning waves. Aerith sobbed softly, looking at her baby boy, who's tear filled sapphire eyes was pleading with her desperately not to leave him, to pick him up once more and take him home where his surroundings were familiar. He clumsily walked forward a couple of steps, before his little feet came into contact with the ice cold waves, and he stopped. "No baby" Aerith said, barely above a whisper, fighting against her maternal instincts to rush back and scoop Roxas back into her arms. She hid behind a bolder, keeping out of sight of her baby, but remaining close enough to watch as the human woman came towards Roxas. Aerith waited a little while, watching as the woman gently picked up her son, holding him close to her, and trying to ignore that painful pang in her heart again as Roxas still continued to search for her. She hoped with all her heart that they would be good to him, and slowly, using all of her remaining will power, she too disappeared into the waves to rejoin her people. _

No matter what my human parents tried, I just couldn't come out of my shell. I felt nothing for anyone; not in the way I needed to.

I remained cold and distant most of the time. Even with my adopted parents. Until-until I met you that is". Roxas looked at the knight smiling shyly, but it soon faded when he saw Axel look down at his knees, his mind in turmoil. Roxas sighed, and continued his story, hoping that it would distract him from the current stinging sensation his chest. "The fisherman's true daughter cannot come back to the mortal world unless I am able to gain a soul. My mind has been plagued with guilt all these years. That _I _shouldn't be here, _she _should. _This_ should be her life, she should know _her _parents. I shouldn't exist at all." With this last sentence Roxas let out a choked sob which he could no longer hold back.

"So-she's still alive?" Axel asked relieved, hesitating before deciding to rub Roxas' arm comfortingly. Roxas merely nodded before wiping away a treacherous tear. "However, if I am not able to gain a soul within a weeks' time, the anniversary of the day I was found, I will have to return to the ocean, never to gain access to land again." For the first time during the conversation, despite everything Roxas had told him, _this _scared Axel the most. '_They'll take Roxas away? I'll never see him again?' _he thought frantically.

"So-so what of Larxene?" he asked nervously. "Why are you so afraid of her?" Roxas swallowed roughly, letting out a shaky sigh before he answered.

"She is a witch of the sea. It's a dangerous thing to cross paths with witches, let alone make deals with them, yet only she had magic strong enough to enable me to stay on land for so long. My father made a deal with her, before the she agreed to send out the water sprites. If her magic could keep me on land for a few years, and I fail to find true love and obtain a soul of my own, then I will belong to her. I will become nothing more then an empty shell of nothingness, a mere minion out to do her bidding, not even equal to her water sprites. This is why the decision was so hard for my parents. I was their _only_ son, yet this was the only chance for me to gain a soul of my own. If Larxene is within the vicinity, then my time is almost up. This very reason is also why I have been having these dreams more often then usual." Axel nodded slowly, thinking deeply about the situation. He didn't know how to react. All he knew was that he didn't want Roxas to suffer like that. He had watched as Roxas changed from a quiet, calm, shy person to becoming the alert, happy young man that he knew now. A person eager to start a new day, and interested in what the world had to offer. Axel didn't want him to lose that trait. Even if it meant he wouldn't always be around to see it.

Axel knew that he loved Roxas, but did he love him enough to make such a commitment, to split his soul just for him? The red head thought back thought back to the fun times they'd had since he had arrived here. All of the laughter that they had shared, the nights they'd spent nestled in each other arms at night, how it felt to have Roxas watch him practice his sword fighting skills, and how his heart swelled happily yet nervously when he held the blond close to him as he murmured instructions about how to hold the sword in a strong stance, moving their bodies in sync as they practised slow offensive and defensive sword sequences. These happy memories soon vanished at the thought of Roxas being dragged down to the sea by unimaginable sea monsters, and he had seen just how sadistic the witch could be. He couldn't bear to think of the cruelty that Roxas would have to endure if he was forced to stay with her.

Did he love Roxas enough to give the ultimate sacrifice; His soul? Or part of it, in this case?

Axel didn't need to think long about his answer. He knew it was yes. He would do whatever it took to keep Roxas safe. Hang their age difference or their status. The blonds' safety was more important to him then his duties in Undine. Besides, wasn't it a knights' duty to protect the needy regardless?

"You-your searches are over, Roxas." He mumbled nervously, giving Roxas a hopeful smile. Said blond looked up. "Huh? What do you mean?" The blond asked, looking confused. Axel rubbed his hands together nervously before looking into Roxas' beautiful pools of blue and taking his hand gently, never tearing his eyes away from the blonds'.

"I-I said, um, you-you no longer have to search for anyone anymore. If you want I-I'd like to be your-your, um-"

A cute hopeful smile appeared on the blonds' face. Axel took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. He took Roxas' other hand-causing the blond to blush deeply and said "I would love to be your soul mate, if you're not opposed to, um, male/male relationships." The red head flushed slightly, suddenly hoping that he hadn't made a terrible mistake. What if Roxas was looking for a young girl to be with? Not a twenty year old man. Roxas stared at him bewildered for a while, before stuttering uncontrollably.

"Y-y-you mean that-that-we-we-uh-you want us to-to-uh"

"Never mind, it's alright" Axel sighed sadly, letting go of Roxas' hands as the hopeful light in his eyes was extinguished. "I understand, forgive me for asking such a thing. I hope that this doesn't ruin our friendship. But I vow to help you find a wonderful girl to be with" he added, with determination.

"Yes," Roxas mumbled, feeling a little dazed.

Axels' heart suddenly clenched tightly due to the sadness and embarrassment currently residing within him. Well, if he couldn't be with Roxas, then the least he could do was help him to find someone in time to beat the witches' spell. "Um, alright, where shall we-"he began to say, before Roxas placed a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Yes, I would like that very much".

Axel looked a little confused. "Um, yes, but where shall we-when do you want to-"

"My soul mate is right here." Roxas said, smiling wildly, his ocean blue eyes sparkling like sunlight on water once more. He took Axels' hand and held it tenderly to his cheek. Axels' heart leaped into his chest excitedly, his own eyes lighting up.

"You-you mean it? Really?" He cried happily, before blushing at how loudly he had spoken. Roxas laughed; it was a beautiful musical sound; true happy laughter.

"My soul mate has been with me the whole time. That's' why I've been able to laugh and feel happy. Why I've been able to feel at all. I would truly be honoured to have you for my mate". Axel laughed a little as he pulled the blond into a hug, Roxas snuggled into his chest. The knight nuzzled into his hair, enjoying the blonds' scent, almost like the ocean; an affectionate warmth spread through the both of them, until Roxas lifted his head and gently nuzzled into the red heads' neck, then softly ran his fingers along the man's jaw line. He lifted his head and brought his lips closer to the red heads', his eyes narrowing slightly. Axel took the hint and slowly leaned forward, gently brushing his lips against the blonds'. Their hearts pounded in their chests with nerves and anticipation, a shy blush slowly forming on their faces. Roxas especially felt excited, this was going to be his first kiss after all. The couple hesitated shyly, before Axel completely closed the gap between them. A wonderful rippling sensation warmed their bodies like a warm ocean wave as Axel gently tightened his grip around Roxas' waist, who then ran his hands through the red heads' surprisingly soft spikes. Roxas suddenly pulled Axel closer, intensifying the force of the kiss, making it more passionate, pressing his lips deeper into the red heads'. Roxas moaned softly as Axel began to gently nip his bottom lip. Eventually they parted, panting softly. They broke into wide smiles as they revealed their eyes to each other, chuckling as they gently rubbed noses. Axel then rested his forehead against the blonds', closing his eyes to savour the precious moment, Roxas following suit. After a while he cleared his throat a little nervously, and they opened their eyes again, emerald green jewels adoring the sight of incredibly happy sapphire ones. "I-I love you Roxas" Axel smiled, his cheeks flushing slightly, from both his shyness and his still slightly breathless state from his passionate kiss he had shared with his new lover.

Roxas smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I love you" he laughed, at actually being able to say it and feel it for someone else after all these years. "I love you" he said again, practically tasting his words. "I love you!" he cried happily, nuzzling back into Axels' chest. The red head laughed humorously before resting his head on top of Roxas' again. After a while of comfortable silence, Axel said "So, what now? Will your parents be alright with this? And, um, will we find a minister who will be willing to wed a same sex couple?"

"My parents may be surprised, but I think they'd be alright with it. After all, they've really taken to you. As for a minister I'm not sure. Most would be opposed to our union" Roxas replied, trailing off sadly as he thought about the logical possibilities. He'd only just solved one major problem, and now because of his loves' choice he had a whole new one. He sighed sadly. Axel gently rubbed Roxas' arm comfortingly, thinking hard about the way to solve their problem, until an unusual idea came to him. "Roxas, do you know anyone who practices under paganism?" said blond frowned in confusion. "Paganism? Hmm, no I do not think I do. Why do you wish to know that?"

"Paganism, my dearest Roxas" Axel said, giving the blond a brief squeezing hug "is and ancient religion-or way of life-that is not ruled by the church. They are less strict with the rights and wrongs of marriage. Unlike other religions, they are not opposed to same sex marriages. As long as two people share a deep love for one another and wish to be life long companions, then they are entitled to marry." Roxas' eyes sparkled in sheer joy at this miraculous solution.

"So it is possible!" But just as a hopeful light lit up his eyes, it was quickly diminished by realising one major problem. "I do not know of any pagan ministers, and people so rarely come by here." Axel looked thoughtful again, his arms still wrapped around the blonds' waist. "Perhaps your father met some people of this religion whilst out trading. Come, let us share our news, and we shall see if I am correct." Roxas however, suddenly didn't look quite as enthusiastic.

"But, to do so I must also explain the situation of out marriage. How could I possible tell them that _I _am the reason that their beloved daughter was taken from them? That _I _am the reason for all of their heart ache for all these years? They have been so kind to me, I simply could not bare to have them hate me".

"It looks like you are already well on you way to obtaining a soul" Axel smiled, almost proudly. "However, I am sure that they will not hate you, once you explain your whole story. After all, you were very young yourself. You had no choice in the matter. Besides, I will be with you, so you will not have to tell them alone if you do not wish."

Roxas smiled relieved, wrapping his arms around the knights' slim waist again, and resting his head on his chest, feeling calmer as he listened to his soothing heartbeat. "Thank you" he said, in almost whisper

"What are soul mates for?" Axel replied with a small chuckle, gently resting his cheek in the blonds' soft hair. "Now" he said after a few comfortable affectionate minutes went by; "Let us tell your parents our wonderful news". They both smiled lovingly at each other for a little while, before Axel gently lifted Roxas' chin and leaned forward, capturing his lips in a sweet, gently kiss once more.

**A/N: **Ooook, I can **not **tell you how happy I am to finally have this chapter done. This is the longest chapter I have **ever **written. I really hope that I didn't write too many unnecessary scenes, please tell me if I did o_o;;; buuuut aaanyway, there we have it. I hope you enjoyed it ^_^ oh, by the way, the Latten I used in the story is supposed to mean:

_Swim from the sea, walk to the shore, until your sixteenth year. Gain true love's soul and the sea will welcome you once more. _

Of course I don't speak Latten-although it would be awesome to do so, think of how easier it would be to learn different languages if you could :) I translated by using a latten website but if any of you guys do and I've got it wrong please let me know. I'm still working on 'until I met you', so don't worry people, more chapters will come, and a great big thank you to my lovely beta Saru813 for previewing this for me. Until next time ^_^/ ciao!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey people, hope you are still enjoying the story. Thank you to White Blossom & Yami Uzi for alerting and a very big thank you to LadyKittania for alerting and faving ^_^

Chapter Six – Commitment

When Axel and Roxas stood hand in hand and revealed their plans to the fisherman and his wife, they were – as Roxas expected – shocked. But Roxas' mother smiled understandingly. "Well, we have watched you two growing closer since Axel arrived and we were more then happy to see out little Roxas come out of his shell." With this fond expression, Roxas' smile faded, and he clung to Axel a little tighter for support.

"Uh, mother, father, there is much more that I need to tell you" he said nervously, receiving a supportive squeeze from Axel. After they had promised not to interrupt his story he began to tell them the truth behind their daughters' disappearance. At first they were shocked and awed just to hear that their adopted son was in fact a mer person by birth, but these feelings were intensified when he told them about their little girl, and his involvement with her disappearance. A whole range of mixed emotions ran through them. The fisherman's wife let out a distraught cry, her husbands' eyes widened in horror.

Fear, hurt, confusion, slight betrayal, and yet a small spark of hope and relief, ran through them, sending their minds and hearts into turmoil. Roxas braced himself. This was the moment where they would yell at him, call him a monster and a freak and demand that the mer-folk return their true child immediately and take their disgusting abnormal, soulless water demon of a son back with them. That they'd wish they never found him and Larxene should take him away and have him live life as an empty lifeless shell, and he could stay that way for all they cared.

He half hoped that they would strike him for all of the bad things he had done, punish him for the terrible creature that he was. That way maybe he'd feel a little less guilty for being responsible for breaking up their family.

Silent tears slowly ran down his cheeks, but his sad thoughts were numbed slightly as he felt Axel rubbing his arm soothingly, while placing another around his shoulders' protectively.

"He did not want any of this. He had no choice in the matter. He cares so much for you, and has appreciated everything that you have done for him. He is very proud to call himself your son." Axel said, as Roxas whimpered a little, but he inhaled deeply and tried to look his parents in the eye, despite the fact that he was practically shaking with nerves. The fisher mans' wife clung to her husband, sobbing softly.

"So-so she still lives? There is still hope?" The fisherman asked softly. Roxas forced himself to maintain eye contact with the wonderful people who had raised him, who he now realised he felt a great love for, yet their calm understanding reaction surprised him.

"Y-yes. That was the deal. I gain a soul, she returns to the land." Roxas replied softly, finally averting his eyes for fear of finding what was once so warm and full of love turn hard and cold. He took his shell bracelet off and with a shaky hand held it out to the people he still considered to be his mother and father, whether they were his biological parents or not. "I-I should not wear this anymore. Fairly soon its true owner shall come to re-claim it." Tears now flowed freely down his cheeks. Although he was about to gain a soul of his own and finally marry someone who loved him despite everything, he still could not bear to loose the people who he thought of as his parents. Suddenly he felt a warm soft pair of hands cover his, pressing the bracelet back into his hand. Roxas looked up surprised to see his mother now smiling understandingly at him, despite the tears that still dampened her cheeks.

"Keep it" she said softly. "It became a symbol of our second chance to become parents and raise a child. "You are still our son, and now we have a new hope of being reunited with our beloved daughter. After all these years of blaming myself, thinking that you would have had a sister to play with if it were not for my negligence, I now know that she is alive and well, wherever she is. Keep the bracelet, it also symbolises our love for you. You can always make another for her when she comes to live back with us, if that is what she wishes." His mother held out her arms to invite Roxas into a hug, which he accepted happily, a relieved smile crossing his features, happy tears now replacing his sad ones. "And now our family has grown again" she added, smiling thankfully at Axel, who flushed slightly, smiling brightly. He felt a hand upon his shoulders and turned to see the fisherman standing behind him.

"You truly are a good man to stay by Roxas through these difficult times, and to sacrifice so much for him. You truly are a honourable knight, and you have brought this family closer. My wife is right, despite everything you have told us, he is still our son, and we would be more then happy to give you our blessings for the wedding." At this statement the betrothed couple looked up excitedly, faces breaking into excited smiles. The fisherman laughed heartedly.

"We would welcome anyone into the family who made our Roxas this truly happy and alive to the world with open arms, regardless of gender or what is considered the 'norms' of marriage." He turned to Axel. "It is quite possible that we may find some people of the pagan faith live near those woods that you travelled through, as it would only be those of ancient spiritual belief who would warn you against faerie folk and such things. Fear not, I'm sure everything will work out fine." The knight truly felt honoured by the man's kind words; he truly had become one of the family without even realising. After all, thinking back it had now been a long time since they had addressed him as 'Sir Knight'.

"Thank you, Sir, you cannot imagine how ecstatic and honoured I am by your blessing" he said with a warm grateful smile, exchanging a brief handshake with the man. The fisherman placed a hand on Axels' shoulder. "You just take care of our little Roxas".

Said blond decided that he was simply too happy and relived by how things turned out to worry about feeling a little patronised by his comment – after all, he _was_ sixteen. Instead, he ran to the man he could still call 'father' and embraced him – in an almost 'tackle' like embrace – and said "father, thank you! I feel as though the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. My spirit is so light now!" Roxas laughed at his unintentional pun. "Now that I have a spirit to feel with" he added, turning to Axel as the two exchanged loving smiles. Roxas ran to his fiancé – as he now deemed and appropriate word to refer Axel to – and embraced him happily. The red head pulled him close and nuzzled into his new lovers' hair.

"Oh wait; do we not require rings for this special occasion? I do not know of any jewellery merchants near by. We may have to travel to another village or town." Axel said, holding Roxas at arms length to gaze into his ocean blue eyes as he spoke. Instead of seeing disappointment as he had expected, his eyes lit up as though he had realised something wonderful.

"There's' no need to worry, I've been saving something for such an occasion. I cannot believe that I had forgotten about them!"

Leaving Axel and his parents confused, Roxas ran to his room. A short while later he re-appeared practically beaming. He ran over to his fiancé and opened his hands to reveal two silver rings.

The bands were entwined and rippled like the ocean waves and a beautiful white pearl glistened at the crown of the ring. Roxas blushed slightly at Axes' amazed expression. "Um, I suppose to a human these rings are quite feminine, but the pearl is also known as the jewel of the sea, and male or female most mer-folk use pearls for wedding rings. I-I hope that they are to you liking." Axel stared at the attractive pieces of jewellery, happy that a minor problem had been averted. He adored Roxas' shy expression as he looked at the rings, his face slightly flushed, nervously awaiting his lover's opinion of the rings. Axel placed his hands over Roxas', closing them to keep the rings safe. His actions caused the blond to look up, starting to worry that the knight was not happy about the quality of the rings. Instead, he said "I care not what the rings look like. As far as I am concerned I already have my own precious jewel of the sea". Roxas' blush deepened as he looked at his feet, unable to stop his smile from becoming wider due to his extreme happiness. His mother 'awed' from behind them while his father chuckled.

"You would think that they were wed already" he teased.

"That was cute, but fluffy" Roxas chuckled; snuggling into Axels' chest as a thank you for his lovers' sweet words-even though they were a little _overly _sweet.

"Well, you were acting cute and fluffy" Axel retorted with a chuckle, giving Roxas a brief squeezing hug.

"That was your fault" Roxas replied, his voice slightly muffled as he buried his face into Axels' chest again.

"What can I say? I'm a charmer" the red head boasted, causing everyone to laugh.

"Well, I apologise for breaking the mood, but I need to take some of my catch to sell. It can't last forever in our pantry, no matter how cool it may be down there. Perhaps on my journey I shall come across someone of the pagan faith. I can ask them if they would be willing to help with your wedding. If you'd be so kind as to help me load my things on to the wagon I can set off" the fisherman said, standing up from his stool.

"If you like, you may use my horse. He can make travelling time much quicker." Axel offered.

"I am not used to horses, we could never afford one I am afraid" the fisherman replied, a little uneasy about the idea of being left alone with such a large animal.

"I can come with you if you so choose" the knight offered. The fisherman looked a little surprised at the offer, but overall grateful that he could now travel a lot quicker then what he would have on foot.

"Oh, may I come with you?" Roxas asked eagerly. His father looked at him surprised. "Why Roxas, you have never taken any interest in coming with me before".

"Yes, but now I am more eager to see the world, I can see new things, meet new people" the blond said excitedly. Axel and the fisherman chuckled.

"Well, you certainly have had quite an influence on my boy" he said to the red head, who blushed a little, looking at his young lovers' excited expression, admiring his deep blue eyes, which were sparkling with excitement.

"Very well, go and pack us some supplies. We may get hungry later" the fisherman replied with a chuckle. Roxas cheered and ran down to the pantry, shortly followed by his mother. "I suppose I shall have to arrange the decorations for the wedding myself then" she mused, before descending the pantry stairs to help Roxas prepare the food.

"Axel, could you please come and show me how to saddle up the horse?" the fisherman asked, turning to his future son in law. "Certainly" the red head replied with a smile, following him round to the hut.

A while later, the three of them set off for their journey, hopeful that it wouldn't take too long now that they had Axels' horse to pull them along. Roxas took in everything around him. The melody of the birds' chorus, the vibrant colours of the leaves of the trees, some appearing to glow softly as thin strips of summer sunlight streaked through them. The freshness of the sweet summer air caressed him with a wooded earthy scent, with a hint of freshly fallen rain water. Even the forest creatures caught his interest as they scurried around the shrubs or up in the trees. All of these things Roxas wouldn't have noticed as much before. Looking back now, it was almost like he had spent his life in an unresponsive daze. He had Axel to thank for this, and so much more. He would not be the person he now was if it were not for him.

After a couple of hours they stopped for a brief rest beside a small stream. The fisherman watched, amused as Axel and Roxas playfully fed each other grapes and strawberries. "Ah, young love" he mumbled before getting on with his own lunch. At one point Axel placed one end of a strawberry into the blonds' mouth, momentarily causing confusion for the young prince before Axel smirked slyly and bit onto the other end, slowly eating his way to the blonds lips before finishing with a passionate kiss, causing the blond to moan softly, returning the kiss, which was now sweetened even more by the juices of the fruit. This certainly made eating healthy foods a lot more pleasurable.

"Oh my!" the fisherman mumbled, glancing at the amorous scene in front of him. A sudden splash in the water made the couple break the kiss. To Axels' relief it was only caused by a common frog. "I am certainly glad that there are no water sprites here" he chuckled, leaning forward to capture the blonds' lips in a chaste kiss. His horse neighed almost as if in agreement-the poor thing had had more then enough trouble with the supernatural to last a life time.

Later that day, they arrived on the main road, where merchants gathered to sell their products to any passing travellers. The fisherman caught the attention of a group of people travelling together and immediately began to bargain with them. They had released Axels' horse from its wagon reins and allowed it to graze peacefully by the road side. The knight patted its beck affectionately. "Axel, shouldn't we be looking for a pagan preacher?" Roxas asked the red head.

"Well, your father said that it is possible that people follow the pagan faith may live near here. We are close to the enchanted forest after all."

"Well, whilst he is busy here, perhaps we can ask around and see if anyone knows" Roxas replied, as Axel gently placed a hand on his cheek and rubbing it with his thumb affectionately. The blond smiled as he placed his hand over Axels'. "Do not worry so Roxas, we will find someone before the time comes, I am sure of it." Axel said reassuringly. With that he leaned down and planted a loving kiss on the blonds' soft enticing lips.

"It is wonderful that you feel so comfortable with your relationship" an un-known voice suddenly commented.

"Hush Olette, you should not comment on other peoples' private affairs" a dark red headed girl scolded.

"I am merely trying to be supportive Kairi. I'm sure that they have received a lot of grief from people" Olette replied, brushing a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Well, actually–"Axel began, before Olette interrupted again.

"Fear not! We shall not mock your way of life, for love is love, no matter who it is with" Olette announced a little too dramatically for the confused couples' liking.

"Olette, Leave them alone! Come on, we have to- "

"I know Kairi, I'm coming. Ooh, did you hear about Aisling and Adele's' wedding? It was beautiful! You should have seen Aislings' dress-"Olette began.

"Ok, Olette, that is enough" Kairi said impatiently, dragging her friend away by the wrist. Axel and Roxas exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. If they knew two people of the same sex who had recently wed, then perhaps they would know the preacher.

"Umm, excuse me, please" Roxas began. Olette dug her heels into the ground– much to Kairi's irritation-and turned her gaze to Roxas. The blond blushed at her intense gaze and averted his eyes. He may have felt more interested in the world now that Axel had given his heart to him, but he still wasn't used to direct contact with other people. He supposed he'd have to get used to it. After all, that was one of the reasons he had come on this journey, was it not?

"Um, perhaps you could tell us the name of the preacher who wed the couple you speak of?"

Olette's deep green eyes widened in surprise, and sparkled excitedly. "Oh, oh, oh, are you two planning on-you two are going to-oh Kairi this is so wonderful!" The brunette said, bouncing up and down excitedly, ruffling Kairi's already ruffled feathers. Roxas laughed nervously. Were all girls this loud and bouncy?

Trying her best to ignore her hyperactive friend, Kairi turned to Roxas smiling apologetically and said "he is a pagan preacher. There are a few around here, but he is the closest person to go to. His name is Samuel Pendragon".

'_Pendragon?' _the couple thought in sync. Axels' expression was just as confused as Roxas' as they looked at each other. Was this a mere jest?

"I, um, thank you. Could you please tell us where he lives?" Axel asked, trying to remain polite, despite his doubts.

"He lives in a clearing not too far from here. Just follow the path past the great oak trees across the field."

"Oh, but be careful not to stray into the enchanted forest" Olette added. The path splits into two, but keep to the left hand side."

"The left side?" Roxas asked.

"Right" Olette replied.

"The right side?" Roxas asked again, to check whether or not Olette was correcting her original directions.

"No, no, left" Olette replied

"No, I mean as in East or West" Roxas said, feeling confused.

"Neither, left" Olette replied, feeling confused by Roxas' questioning.

Kairi sighed, frustrated.

"Never mind" Axel cut in before their conversation became too complicated. "I understand what you are trying to say" he put a hand on Roxas' shoulder and led him to his horse. "Uh, okay, um, thank you" Roxas said, trying to remain polite despite his still apparent confusion.

"No problem, have a wonderful wedding!" Olette called after them.

"Oh, I simply cannot take you anywhere, can I?" Kairi groaned, pulling her friend away by the arm again. "Hey, what did I do, what did I do?" the brunette protested.

Axel chuckled as he watched the two girls walk away, Kairi now apparently giving Olette a lecture in manners. "Lively wasn't she?"

Roxas hummed in response. "Although a little too lively for my taste. Perhaps I shall avoid talking to girls too much". Axel laughed as he took his usual place in the horses' saddle behind Roxas.

"Not all girls are quite so energetic" he chuckled, placing his hands around the blonds' waist. "Perhaps you would like to take the reins today without my help?"

"Realy? You think I'm good enough?" Roxas asked, looking back at his fiancé happily. Axel chuckled in response. "Of course, you have proven that to me whilst practicing horse riding outside your house."

"Thank you Axel!" Roxas chimed happily. Said red head slowly leaned forward to kiss his lovers' forehead tenderly, adoring the usual shy smile and blush that he usually received from the blond. On Roxas' command the horse moved on, and after briefly telling his father where they were they were going they headed towards the home of the preacher.

They followed the path as instructed-Axel ensuring that Roxas kept to the left hand side- and they eventually came to a clearing in the trees. Large thick trunked oak trees encircled the clearing, their bark rough and cracked defining the age of the woods themselves. Birds of many species sang their songs around them, a soft breeze gently rustling the leaves, giving the whole area a sense of serenity. A little further into the clearing sat a quaint little house with a thatched roof. The afternoon sun which peaked in from the trees glinted off of the houses Tudor windows. The front door was painted a deep burgundy red and a round knocker wrapped in the clutches of a metal serpent like dragon sat near the top of the door. "We're here!" Roxas exclaimed excitedly. He jumped down from the horse and ran towards the house. Axel chuckled and followed suit. "Ah, so perhaps his surname really _is _Pendragon" Roxas said, pointing to the knocker. He tapped it against the door a few times and they waited in nervous silence. Shortly afterwards a slim balding man approximately in his late forties or early fifties answered the door. His bright blue eyes peered out at the through thin rimmed glasses. His thin lips curved into a welcoming smile.

"Pardon our intrusion sir, but are you Samuel Pendragon?" Axel asked, with his usual polite knightly charm.

"I am. What can I do for you good sirs?" the preacher asked, pushing his glasses a little further up his nose.

"W-well, you see, umm we-we would like to-to get married please" Roxas said timidly. Axel smiled adoringly at the blonds' flushed face as he twisted his hands together nervously. Axel couldn't resist running a hand through Roxas' blond locks affectionately, causing his blush to deepen.

"Oh, so you would like a pagan wedding" Samuel said, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Do you follow the beliefs of paganism?"

"No, sir, we do not, but as you perhaps already know, the church would solely object to our union. We were told that a preacher of the paganism faith would not oppose."

"Certainly not, certainly not, our ways are not as strict as the church is; Betrothed couples may even have a trial period, where you remain married for a year and if you feel that life long marriage is not something you find you are able to commit to; then

after that period of time you may separate, no questions asked." Roxas suddenly looked nervous and subconsciously clung to Axels' arm.

"O-oh, but we-we wish to be married for life" he said, quickly looking up at Axel, as a momentary sting of panic flowed through him, worried that there may be a shadow of uncertainty in the red heads' eyes. Axels' eyes met with Roxas', and the blond was relieved to see that his emerald jewels shone with reassurance and certainty. He even squeezed his hand gently to confirm his silent message to Roxas, smiling warmly. Said blonds' eyes and face lit up with relief and complete happiness. Samuel laughed heartedly. "Fear not young man, it is just an option. I was not insinuating that the two of you were not serious". Roxas blushed and looked at his feet, receiving a comforting rub on the arm from Axel.

"I apologise if I have offended you" Samuel said, his eyes narrowing forlornly. "I can assure you it was not my intention."

"Worry not, my little Roxas is just shy" Axel replied, smiling sweetly at said blond. Samuel chuckled again, relieved. "Well, come in, come in, we'll decide on the date and time and such for your big day".

Suddenly a loud cracking sound came from the trees. Axels' horse started rearing up and baying, before it ran back into the wood. "Oh, um, Roxas, wait here I'll go after him". Roxas stared after the red head as he chased his horse through the trees.

"Goodness, what could have caused such a noise to startle the horse so?" Samuel wondered aloud. Roxas had an uneasy feeling about the sudden occurrence. "Will he be alright?" Roxas still hadn't taken his eyes from the direction Axel had gone.

"I, um, I assume so" he murmured, still a little uncertain. Despite how he felt he knew that Axel would be able to calm his horse down, without any aid. "Would you like to come in? We could discuss the matters of your wedding in more detail." Samuel asked, trusting that the knight would be fine. Roxas continued to look uncertainly behind him, wondering if Axel was alright. He was also a little nervous as now he would have to maintain a full conversation with a stranger by himself. Something he didn't feel comfortable doing. He found a brief conversation with Kairi and Olette quite hard to deal with, but he assumed that a preacher would be a lot less energetic then excitable young girls. Perhaps if he tried to speak as he would to his own father, then perhaps the conversation might be easier. Besides, he decided it would be good for his social skills. He decided not to worry, and that Axel would know how to handle his horse-after all, he had been with his trusty steed for years. "Um, alright, we can discuss matters until Axel returns;" he said, reluctantly turning to face the priest. "I'm sure he shall return soon" Samuel said, turning to enter his house, with Roxas tagging along behind.

Meanwhile, Axel had caught up with his horse and had managed to grab it by the reins. He gently stroked its nose and whispered soothing words in an attempt to calm it down. His horse grunted and eventually surrendered to the knight's touch.

"My attempts to bring you here have been successful" a voice echoed from the trees. Immediately Axel worried that his horse had lead him into the enchanted forest, as this area was fairly close, but he remembered the strange amulet that Larxene had given him. He hadn't come across any trouble travelling out of the forest after his last encounter with the witch, and up until now he had forgotten that he had it in his pouch, but if he were once again in the wood spirits' territory he assumed that the amulet would still protect him. Unless of course its former owner came to him, then he wasn't sure what would happen. To his displeasure he found that the owner of the voice was in fact the witch. Larxene emerged from the trees, as silent and deadly as a snake, smirking at the knight. Axel tensed and his horse drew its ears back and grunted nervously.

"What did you do to him?" Axel asked coldly, his emerald eyes narrowing dangerously. "Nothing physically" the witch sneered. "I simply summoned a little piece of lightning". Her teal eyes bore into Axels' as she summoned a small lightning bolt in her right hand which crackled briefly, causing Axels' horse to buck back in fear again, kicking out its front legs as Axel struggled to keep hold of its reins. "Stop it" he demanded angrily. "Why did you bring me here?" Larxene chuckled almost evilly. "Well, firstly to see if you weren't really attached to the boys' hip".

"How did you find out about me and Roxas? You stay away from him!" Axel snapped, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the witch, all of the horrible things that Roxas had told him about her replayed in his head. There was no way he was about to let her hurt him. "I imagine your horse was beginning to feel left out, what with you always being with the boy" Larxene teased. "At least now he can have you to himself." Axel noticed that the witch had deliberately avoided his question. "Stop trying to change the subject!" he demanded, jabbing his sword forward to emphasis his threat. Larxene however didn't seem the least bit affected. She merely sneered at the red head, and with one quick wave of her hand sent his sword flying out from his hand without even having to touch it. Axel stared at his sword-which had landed a few feet away-in disbelief.

"I came here" Larxene began, gently running a finger along Axels' still slightly outstretched arm, causing him to flinch, "to ask you if being with a small, malnourished looking sixteen year old adopted son of a fisherman is what you really want. Surely a handsome man such as your self would desire a person who could satisfy your needs more effectively". She looked into Axels' angry eyes, her teal ones glinting almost flirtatiously. Axel retracted his hand quickly, almost as if her touch had burned him, and stepped back. "I care not what his fathers' profession might be. I want to be with him and nothing that you do or say is going to prevent that".

"I think" the witch began stepping forward, her eyes almost glowing, making Axel suddenly find it very hard for him to move-he couldn't even force himself to look away from her blazing teal eyes, no matter how much his mind screamed at him to do so his body simply would not respond. Just what kind of witchcraft magic was she attempting?

"I think- that pretty soon- you won't be able to keep your promise" Larxene continued, slowly and seductively stepping towards the knight.

Mean while, back at the preachers' house, Roxas found himself worrying about his beloved red head. He stared absentmindedly out of the front room window. "Axel has been gone for quite a while. I hope he's okay" Roxas mumbled. He had already finalised the plans for his wedding, deciding on the time he thought would make soul sharing more successful. He hoped Axel would approve. He decided that they would get married in a day's time, when the full moon would illuminate the sky like a night time sun, thus hopefully making the soul sharing process more effective, and hopefully their marriage would be blessed greatly. After all, was the ocean itself not controlled by the moon? "I think I shall go and find him" Roxas said to the priest. "But thank you very much for your hospitality, and I look forward to seeing you soon". He had surprised himself with how well he was able to arrange everything without Axel being there and how much easier he found it to talk to the priest without stammering with nerves as much. Although he was slightly disappointed that he had arranged everything by himself. "No problem at all, my lad. I shall arrive at your home tomorrow evening. A moonlight wedding, how unusual" the preacher mused.

Of course Roxas hadn't revealed the truth about his predicament, to avoid any complications, particularly out of fear that the preacher would refuse to wed them. He left Samuels' home and went in search of Axel. "I hope he did not manage to get himself lost" Roxas mumbled to himself. He ran on ahead, and soon he could hear voices. He moved deeper into the trees, although he could not make them out very clearly.

Axel was frozen to the spot as Larxene moved even closer. His horse buckled out of his grasp and moved further away from the witch. Axel managed to very briefly turn and watch as his horse retreated, before he felt the witch grasp his face with her thumb and for finger, forcing him to look at her; once more maintaining her control over him. "I could bring you so much more" she said, bringing her face closer to his. She trailed his jaw line with the tips of her fingers, making Axel flinch slightly; however he still could not turn away completely. His eyes started to glaze over, as Larxene brought her lips closer to his, brushing up against them slightly as she continued, feeling his soft breath gently brush against hers. "Soul sharing cannot be completed if one is unable to fully agree to share it. Your relationship may not last very long at all. A handsome man such as your self deserves so much more. Here is a quick taste for you, until you start to see things _my _way" and with that she completely closed the gap between her and Axel, moving her lips tenderly against his, placing a hand behind his head, sensually caressing it through the red heads' soft spikes. After a short while she broke the kiss, smiling almost spitefully at the red head, watching his eyes slowly come back into focus. Larxene gently trailed her fingers along the knights' cheek. "I hope to be seeing you again very soon" she smiled, before retreating back into the woods.

Axel soon found that he could move again. He gently placed his fingers against his lips. What had she just done? Why couldn't he move away from her? An overwhelming sense of guilt tore through his heart. How was he going to explain this to Roxas? Should he even tell him? Axel thought back, remembering the strong fear in the little blonds' eyes after he had told him of their previous meeting. Axel decided not to tell him. He hated himself for it, for keeping secrets from his husband to be, for not being able to fight against the witch when she had stolen a kiss from him. He now knew that the amulet she had given him had no protective defence against her own powers. That fact should have been obvious to him. He had never kept secrets from Roxas before, but this was one with he couldn't bring himself to tell the blond. Besides, he didn't want Roxas to be sad or angry with him on their wedding night. Shurly that would affect the soul sharing process? Especially after Roxas hadn't had any nightmares for a while. Axel didn't want him to start having them again. Suddenly he heard said blond calling for him, making his heart jump almost painfully. Still feeling a little dazed he turned to the sound of his voice, his horse slowly making his way over to his master now that Larxene was gone.

"Axel, where are you? Are you alright?" Roxas appeared from the trees, looking a little dishevelled and worried. Relief washed over him when he saw his beloved red head. "Oh, there you are! I see you've finally found your horse" the blond said, as he happily ran over to embrace Axel. The red head turned to look in the direction Larxene had taken. Concern momentarily plagued Roxas' thoughts when Axel didn't return his hug straight away, and when he did, he only hung his arm loosely around the blonds' waist. "Axel, I heard voices, who were you talking to?" the Roxas asked, looking at his lover with concern.

"I, um, never mind" the red head muttered, returning his gaze back to the blond.

"Lets' go Roxas, I'm sure your father will be wondering where we are". Roxas still looked worried, but Axel shook his head and forced a reassuring smile to ease the blonds' concerns. "I am fine. So, tell me, did you make the plans for the wedding?"

On the way back to the main road, Roxas' face lit up as he explained all of the details he had planned for their wedding. "Hmm, a moon light wedding. How romantic" Axel mused, nuzzling his head into Roxas' hair, taking in its comforting ocean scent. The blond chuckled. "Um, Axel, may I make a request?" he asked, tilting his head back to look at Axel shyly. "Certainly" the red head responded with a warm smile.

"W-would it be alright if-if you were to-to-um, wear your knights armour? You haven't worn it in such a long time. I think you look so handsome when you do" Roxas said, a soft pink tinge running across his nose and he looked down at his hands, feeling slightly embarrassed. At first Axel smiled fondly at Roxas, but the term 'handsome' reminded him of what Larxene had said to him. Roxas was so happy thinking that he would finally be free of her, but the fact that she had stolen a kiss from Axel made him feel as though he had betrayed the blond.

"Axel, are you alright?" said blond asked, his smile fading. "You-you do not have to wear the armour of you do not wish. Or is it that it reminds you of your duties in Undine?" Roxas mumbled sadly, looking at his hands which were clutching the reins so hard his fingers turned white. He tried to suppress his saddening and slightly bitter thoughts by focusing on the gentle movements of the horses main, which swayed slightly in the breeze as he sadly awaited Axels' answer. Axel pushed his worrisome thoughts deep down. He didn't want to be the cause of Roxas' diminished happiness. He nuzzled into Roxas' hair again, hoping to comfort the blond. "I've already told you Roxas, I want to be with you. Please do not feel sad".

"I do not want you to feel pressured, Axel. You are a good, kind person, and I guess those qualities makes you feel obligated to help me. However I do not wish to force you into this marriage-if-if it-"Roxas couldn't continue as tears streamed down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly with the back of his hand.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, Roxas, please don't cry, I'm more the happy to be with you. You've become a part of me, and that is even before our official soul sharing" Axel said, gently stroking the blonds' damp cheek. Roxas snuffled a little, wiping away the remaining tears. He hated feeling this way; this was certainly one undesired aspect to developing emotions. Axel sighed, "Roxas, we've been through this. I-LOVE-YOU, all right? I'm marrying you because I _want _to. I couldn't bear _not _being with you. Please Roxas-"Axel gently tilted his chin so that the blond would look at him. Roxas managed a small smile. He looked into the knights' worried emerald eyes and saw them easing into loving relived ones. "I'm sorry" the blond mumbled. Axel shushed him gently, just brushing his fingers against Roxas' lips, before leaning down to claim them with his own, massaging them gently whilst weaving a hand through the blonds' soft t locks, earning a small moan of satisfaction.

"All better?" Axel chuckled after they parted, resting his forehead against the blonds' so that they remained nose to nose. Roxas felt a little ashamed about his sudden negative outburst, so he tried to lighten the mood.

"Hmm, I can't quite tell" he said playfully, looking thoughtful and licking his lips, as if trying to decide whether or not the kiss was good enough to help. Axel laughed softly. "Oh really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Before he could ask any more questions Roxas quickly pressed his lips against the red heads, who moaned softly in return. As the blond pulled away he said "I believe that should suffice". Axel chuckled and rubbed their noses together affectionately.

"Good" he said, smiling brightly. "And I will be more then happy to wear my armour for you, if only to see your beautiful face light up. However, I may require some help getting out of them later" he added with a cheeky wink. At first Roxas looked confused, until he realised what Axel was insinuating, causing his face to explode with colour, becoming almost as red as his vulgar fiancés' hair.

"Hey!" He exclaimed playfully slapping his lovers' arm causing the red head to laugh heartedly.

Axel decided to push his worrisome thoughts of the kiss with Larxene to the back of his mind. Right now he had to focus on keeping Roxas happy.

They met up with Roxas' father, who had had a reasonably profitable day. They happily explained the arrangements they had made for their wedding. "Well, I am very glad that your search was successful. Its' a good thing that I have made a reasonable profit today; now I can pay the preacher."

"Oh, no, no, I shall pay for our wedding. After all, you have been most generous to me, allowing me to live under your roof and feast upon your provisions. You have so far refused lodging money from me for your hospitality, therefore I must absolutely insist on paying for the wedding." Axel said in a knightly fashion. "You must keep your earnings for your own pocket."

"Can noting I do change your mind?" The fisherman asked, feeling guilty that he wasn't going to be paying for his own sons' wedding.

"I am certain" the red head replied with an affirmative nod.

On the journey home they explained all of the details of their wedding to the fisherman. Once they finally arrived Roxas' mother came out to greet them. "Oh, good, you're here. I have a surprise for you".

"I can assume she means you two" the fisherman chuckled. Axel and Roxas exchanged curious looks, before the blond hopped down from the wagon excitedly and ran towards his mother. She laughed, thinking that he was almost like an excited child on their birthday.

"Mother, we found a preacher! We wed tomorrow!"

"That's wonderful, love. I knew you'd find some one, although I wasn't expecting the wedding to be so soon." She chuckled, adoring the sight of her sons' excited smile. "Its' lucky then, that I was able to finish these-if you are not opposed to wearing them that is" she said, presenting him with a brown paper parcel, wrapped with string. Axel soon joined Roxas after having left his horse round the back of the house to graze, noticing the parcel Roxas was holding. He was quite touched when the blonds' mother held one out for him, too. Axel took his parcel with interest, touched that she'd thought to also provide him with a gift. "Thank you, you shouldn't have" he smiled.

"Think of it as a wedding gift" she replied happily.

They each untied the string and pulled open the paper to find a necklace made of shells and an assortment of smooth white pebbles. At the centre of the piece was a bluish grey pearl. "You-you do not have to wear them if you feel that they are a little too feminine, but we have little money to spare, and unfortunately we could never afford a real jewel, but I thought that they would go nicely with your rings, even though the pearls aren't the same colour. Actually, they are quite a find." She averted her gaze to Roxas. "They are rare coloured pearls. I was fortunate enough to find them in a couple of mussels that your father brought back with him from a fishing trip. I-I hope that you like them. I didn't know what else to give you".

"Mother, they're beautiful! Perhaps you should make necklaces to sell when father travels to sell his fish. They are simply wonderful!" Roxas said smiling brightly as he happily embraced his blushing mother.

"Are you quite sure you wish to give us these? Many nobles would pay a high price for such a rare pearl."

"Of course, I am more then happy to give them to my son and his fiancé on their wedding day then what I would be selling them to a noble. After all, money doesn't last forever."

"Thank you. I-I don't know what to say" Axel said, truly touched by the woman's' time and generosity.

"Fear not mother, mermen sometimes wear necklaces too, so it is not as feminine as you might think, and I'm sure that many human noblemen wear them, too." Roxas added reassuringly. "Although perhaps not made from shells" he added sheepishly. The fisherman suddenly appeared behind the betrothed couple and cleared his throat in order to alert them of his desire to speak. "These-these are from me" he said, having fetched his gifts for them after putting away the wagon. I bought them with some of the profit money I made today. I wanted to keep them as a surprise for tomorrow, but I do not wish to look bad seeing as your mother has made you necklaces" the fisherman chuckled. He shyly handed Roxas a sea blue cloth shirt with slightly baggy pleated sleeves and laces at the front of the neck. He handed Axel the same type of shirt, except for the fact that his was a deep forest green. "I hope yours fits, Axel, I know you are very tall and it was hard to judge your size without you actually being there" the fisherman smiled, feeling a little self conscious. Axel held the shirt up to his torso. "I believe it will be fine. It looks as though it will be a nice fit"

The fisherman smiled, relieved. "Heh, it matches your eyes" Roxas said, smiling as he looked up at his beloved red head, before turning his attention back to his parents. "Oh, mother, father, thank you!" he exclaimed, embracing the both of them. His father chuckled warmly.

"I thought of them as representations of the land and the sea. Our little Roxas is from the sea, and our Axel is from the land."

"Hmm, that is perfectly fitting. I thank you deeply for your sincere kindness" the knight said, bowing.

"Now that we know when the wedding will take place, I can make a start on your next surprise. But I guess that will have to wait until morning." Roxas' mother smiled, gently running a hand through the blonds' hair.

"Oh, mother, you shouldn't have. The shirts and necklaces were enough".

"Ah, well, it is not everyday that our son gets married now, is it?" she replied suavely. "Now you two have something nice and new to wear for your wedding".

"Oh, but Axel was going to wear his armour" Roxas said, but then automatically regretting his selfish announcement, fearing that he may have hurt his fathers' feelings as he looked at him forlornly. "Worry not, Roxas, I can simply wear it the day after." Axel said, reassuringly. Roxas looked at his father with a silent questionable expression, waiting to see if his father approved.

"That would be fine. Wear it whenever you wish" he replied happily, not in the leased bit offended. Roxas happily embraced Axel and nuzzled into his chest. The red head chuckled and wrapped his arms around the blond, resting his head upon the top of Roxas'.

"I cannot wait for tomorrow night. We shall be bound for life!"

A sharp pang of guilt shot through the red head, causing him to frown forlornly, remembering the betrayal of the Larxene's lips against his own._ 'If the witch does not interfere first'_ he thought miserably.

**A/N: O**k, I know I haven't updated in AGES but the inspiration just hasn't been there, & life's been, well, just blah to put it nicely. I'm sure there are lots of things that need to be sorted but I did the best I could and I hope I didn't disappoint. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story; and a great big thank you to those that alerted, reviewed & faved, it really motivates me. You guys are awesome!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven – The Wedding

**A/N:** Hey again! I was surprised & very happy to receive more alerts, faves & reviews in such a short period of time after posting chapter six ^_^ I'd like to say a great big thank you to: crimsonyaoilover, White Blossom & Ldrmas, for supporting my story. You guys rock! & for fans of Until I met you, I am still intending to write the story, I'm just struggling with inspiration for that one at the minute, but hopeful it won't be too long before I post up the next chapter.

So, it's finally Axel & Roxas' big day, enjoy!

The early morning sun rose though the curtains in Roxas' room. As always he was nestled next to Axel, warm and safe in the red heads arms. The blond blinked slowly as the suns' rays caused him to wake from his peaceful slumber. His ocean blue eyes focused on the red heads' peaceful sleeping face, emerald eyes closed, his soft pale skin appearing to glow in the soft sunlight, illuminating the unusual tear drop markings under his eyes. His soft enticing looking lips were slightly parted as he breathed softly and evenly. Roxas admired his beautiful husband to be, thinking how truly lucky he was to have met him. He was literally a life saver. Roxas smiled lovingly at Axel, and after a while decided that his beloved red head had slept enough. He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against Axels'. When he pulled back he watched as the red head blinked slowly, before revealing his emerald eyes to Roxas.

"Morning" the blond smiled.

"Morning" Axel replied, returning the smile as he gently trailed a finger along the blonds' cheek before leaning forward to capture Roxas' lips. "There, now we're even" he grinned, causing Roxas to chuckle in response.

"So, ready to begin our big day?" the blond asked, his eyes sparkling excitedly.

"Certainly" the red head answered with a soft smile, gently running his fingers through his fiancés' hair before leaning forward to briefly press his lips against his forehead. They rose from the bed hand in hand, before starting to dress themselves for the day. Roxas wore his usual white shirt, whilst Axel picked up his new green one, holding it at arms length thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should wear this now, seeing as I shall need to dress up for you later" he said suavely, winking at Roxas. Said blond chuckled.

"You will look handsome no matter what you wear". As if in response, the red head temporarily placed his new shirt onto the bed and began to slowly peel off his night shirt, slinging it onto the bed, causing Roxas to blush as he admired his fiancés well toned body.

"Although, you _could_ stay like that for the day" he mused. Axel laughed and turned around, revealing his well toned stomach. "Yes, that is definitely the most attractive yet" the blond grinned, his eyes roaming over his fiancés' gorgeous body. Roxas then looped his arms around Axels' waist in a loving embrace, resting his head against his chest, loving the warmth that emitted from his body.

"Mmmm, yes, this is nice" he mumbled.

Axel laughed softly. "I do not think it would be appropriate to walk around your house topless, right in front of your parents."

"All for me then" Roxas said in a jesting manner, causing Axel to laugh again, tilting his head back slightly as he did so.

"Lucky you" he chuckled, kissing the top of the blonds' head.

"I cannot wait to see what mother may have prepared for us" Roxas smiled, looking up at Axel.

"Well then, let us go and see if she has awoken" Axel replied, releasing the blond and slipping on the green shirt-much to the blonds' disappointment. Roxas decided that he'd try not to dwell on it _too _much, as no doubt he would be seeing much more of Axels' body later…

"Hmm, its' not a bad fit" said red head said, pulling Roxas out of his thoughts.

"I quite agree" Roxas replied, his eyes sparkling; his lover still looked handsome in his new shirt, especially as the blond could still see the bulge of his arm muscles through the sleeves.

"Before we leave, may I give you another?" the red head asked, gently tilting Roxas' chin so that the blond would look at him. At first Roxas looked confused, but when Axel leaned forward he understood, and with a soft 'oh' and a shy smile he met the red head half way. Axel pressed his lips a little firmer this time, looping his arms around the blond to pull him closer. Their lips melted together in a delicious kiss, both moaning softly; delighting in the warm tingling sensations that rippled through their bodies. Eventually the unfortunate requirement for air caused them to separate, both panting softly. Axel grinned, his eyes full of love as he tenderly caressed his nose against the blonds' whose eyes were now sparkling more then ever, a warm smile graced his young handsome features.

"I think that was our most beautiful kiss yet" he said breathlessly, touching his lips gently as a cute blush ran across his face. Axel chuckled. "There shall be many more to come, yet" he grinned.

"There had better be" Roxas said with a soft laugh, leaning up to capture the red heads' lips once again for a chaste kiss.

"Now then, let us be off, before I am unable to tear myself away from you" Axel said almost suavely, taking Roxas' hand as the two lovers left the bedroom.

Once they were outside they found that Roxas' father was already awake. "Oh, you have awoken. Your mother was just finishing off some things. The celebrant should be bringing the other items later."

"You mean preacher" Roxas corrected.

"Well, celebrant is the traditional name for a priest of the pagan faith" his father replied.

"You certainly seem very knowledgeable about the pagan faith." Axel observed.

"Well, that is how I was bound to Roxas' mother" the fisherman replied, looking at Roxas with a proud smile, which the blond returned brightly.

"Would you like to see what she has done for you so far, or would you like to wait until later when everything is complete?"

"Look now! Look now!" Roxas cried eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"It _is _certainly wonderful to see you so enthusiastic about things" his father chuckled, ruffling his sons' hair affectionately, thinking back to the times when Roxas used to keep to himself in quite solitude.

"It _is _my wedding day, what is there _not_ to be enthusiastic about?" the blond replied, causing both men to laugh at the blonds' enthusiasm. He was about as excited as a woman picking out her bride's dress "Come along Axel, hurry!" Roxas said excitedly, taking his lover by the hand and running around to the back of the house, with the poor knight trailing along struggling to maintain his balance as the blonds' surprising strength pulled him forward.

"Goodness, Roxas, calm your self" the red head chuckled, as he almost slipped over.

"My apologies" the blond said, looking back at his handsome red head with an apologetic smile.

At a more manageable pace they went round to the back garden where Roxas' mother usually kept a small patch of vegetables and another of flowers. She was just adding the final touches to a branched archway that she had been weaving flowers through as Axel and Roxas walked towards her, looking around at the details that had been added so far, Axels' expression impressed, whilst Roxas' showed a sense of awe. To the right of the flower archway sat a fairly large flat topped boulder which had an array of objects littered upon it. "That wasn't easy to move, I can assure you" Roxas' father said as he caught up with them, holding his back for emphasis. "I had to lift it onto its side and roll it over here". Roxas was too awestruck to reply. His main focus was on the arch of flowers.

"Oh, it looks magnificent already" he gasped, his bright blue eyes wide with anticipation. He simply couldn't wait to see it once it was complete!

Axel gave his hand an affirmative squeeze. Roxas released the red heads' hand and walked forward slowly, looking at all of the different coloured flowers, varying from all ends of the colour spectrum; from reds, to yellows, blues, whites, pinks, purples and oranges. All of them different shades, as well as plenty of green foliage entwined with the flowers. Roxas had no idea how him mother had managed it. He averted his gaze to her flower patch and noticed with dismay that she had picked them all; every single one. "Mother, you didn't have to pick _all _of your beautiful flowers" he said sadly. His mothers' face brightened as she heard her son' voice and turned round to face him. "Oh, you're here!" she smiled brightly as she walked over to her son, excitedly pulling him into an embrace. "What was it you said about my flowers?"

Roxas looked at his mother a little forlornly; he knew how much she loved her little garden. "Mother, why did you ruin your garden? There was no need".

"Oh, worry not. I took some from the woods, too. I can always grow more. Besides, it makes me feel a greater sense of accomplishment watching them grow from seeds, anyway" she replied, holding Roxas out at arms length to show him the certainty in her eyes. Roxas gave her small smile in return. He turned to his father. "What is the boulder for?"

"That will be used as your alter; come and see what we've put on there for you" his father replied, putting a hand on Roxas' shoulder and leading his over. Axel and Roxas' mother followed.

"Why do we need an alter?" Roxas asked quizzically; Axel too, was curious, and looked at the fisherman with interest.

"It is a pagan wedding ritual to place important objects upon them; either important to the individuals or those important for representing the pagan faith. They can be tables, boulders, large mounds of earth-"

Roxas laughed; "Mounds of earth?"

"Well, paganism revolves around nature, so its' better to have something created from a natural element" the fisherman replied. "The items placed upon the alter can also represent the wedding couples' elements, or if you like you can take a symbol of each element and place these on the alter as a sign of spiritual balance between the elemental life energy, supposedly creating a more harmonious successful wedding."

When Roxas looked at the items placed upon the alter his eyes lit up. There was an assortment of sea shells as well as a large conch shell, and also as a ceremonial knife and a pretty purple gem stone. "The shells were to represent you coming from the sea. The conch shell originally symbolises fertility, but I don't think that you and Axel will need to worry about that" Roxas' mother said with a silly smile. Roxas smiled sheepishly at the red head, who winked cheekily. "However, I still thought that it may bring luck" Roxas' mother added.

"What of the knife?" Roxas asked a little wearily, wondering if there was going to be blood split during the celebration. "It was originally used to sacrifice animals to bless the gods in hopes that the marriage would last" the fisherman began to explain, until he noticed Roxas' horrified face and quickly added "but now it is merely for show purposes. It was one of my items when I wed your mother, a gift from my father, just as the conch is a gift from your mothers' mother. It is just a tradition to pass certain items down from generation to generation." Roxas released a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. He was glad there would be no sacrifices. Killing fish was hard enough for him, but to kill a cattle animal or even watch one be killed would have been too much for him to bear. "Thank goodness for that!" He sighed.

"This is pretty" Axel said, lifting the purple gem stone and holding it up to the morning light and admiring it sparkling.

"That's' an amethyst stone. It was a gift from my mother" Roxas' mother said happily, hoping that her son and future son in law would approve. "They represent the land, for you".

"These items are wonderful" Axel replied honestly. He noticed some grey objects sticking out slightly from underneath the conch shell. He lifted them with curiosity and found that they were wood pigeon feathers.

"Oh, why the feathers?" Roxas asked, taking one from Axel and caressing his cheek with it. "They represent air, and if you should travel anywhere they promote a quick and safe journey" his mother replied, glancing at the red head. Axel wondered whether they were worried about him taking Roxas back to Undine with him, without ever returning. "I'm sure Roxas' heart will always be his home" Axel said with a reassuring smile. His suspicions appeared to be true, as he saw her eyes light up as a relieved smile crossed her features.

"There will be more decorations later, but we'll leave that as a surprise for later" the fisherman said a little teasingly.

"I cannot wait! But won't the flowers in the archway have died by then?" Roxas asked, his excitement diminishing to anxiety. He would be sad if his mother had torn apart her garden for nothing.

"They should be alright for a day" his mother answered reassuringly.

Meanwhile, not far from the house, the sea witch was watching the betrothed couple, hidden from sight amongst the trees. Axel and Roxas had decided to spend the rest of the morning walking hand in hand through the woods, laughing and joking about things, talks of the wedding and Roxas describing excitedly how he imagined the final set up of the back garden would look like.

Anger bubbled up inside of her as she focused on the blond. She was adamant that she would make sure the little mer-prince would not keep his soul. She wanted to prove the sea king wrong, and make all of the mer-folk realise just what a formidable enemy she really was. Their son would not gain a soul, and she would have ultimate control.

"If those two getting married vexes you so, then why no simply stop them before they complete the ceremony? Hiding behind trees will not accomplish anything" a small huffy little voice suggested.

"Ah, but that would be too easy" the witch replied, her scowl turning into a sneer. "I want that blond to suffer. If he truly believes things are going well, he'll let his guard down, then when things finally change for the worst it will affect him greatly, and what little soul he would have gained by being in love with that knight will be mine, and he will be under my control."

"A harsh plan for such an innocent boy; of what crime did he commit should he be punished so harshly for?" Larxene glared at the little imp; the very same imp who had tried to trick Axel in the enchanted forest.

"SILENCE! I did not spare your life so that you may question me!"

"It just seems a bit much" the imp muttered huffily, crossing his little arms over his chest and glaring at his captor. He turned to look at the doomed lovers laughing as Axel quickly spun Roxas in the air playfully.

"You have no right to talk. After all, it was you who tried to trick the knight into giving you his money" Larxene scoffed.

"That is nothing compared to the sadistic plan which you are currently concocting" the imp replied, glaring at the witch again. Larxene hit the imp around the head for his impertinence, causing the poor creature to yelp in pain.

"You will NOT answer me back!" she snarled. She averted her angry eyes back to the frolicking couple, her sight focusing on the blond who was currently laughing about something and running as Axel exclaimed at the bonds' words and playfully gave chase.

"I _will _break you" she thought angrily. "I can promise you that."

Finally, the evening came; time when Axel and Roxas would become untied in both body and soul. The night time skies were clear and the stars glittered within them almost like thousands of tiny diamonds. The full moon illuminated the land with a soft calming white glow.

Axel was Roxas' room, preparing himself for the wedding, dressing himself in his knights' armour just as his young lover had requested. He also decided to wear the necklace that Roxas mother had given him, simply to show his gratitude and to be polite. It was then that he realised just how long it had been since he had last worn his armour; he didn't remember it being that heavy. Still, it was his wedding day and he had to look his best. He decided that at some point after the wedding he would begin training in his armour again, in order to regain his original fitness; required of a knight should he ever need to fight once more on the battlefield.

Meanwhile Roxas was changing in his parents' room, having both decided to maintain the usual tradition of not seeing their partner until they joined at the alter. He put on a freshly pressed pair of breeches, along with the blue shirt his father had bought for him; the necklace his mother gave him lay around his neck. The rings he had shown to Axel had been given to the preacher, so that he may present them to the couple when the time came for them to place them onto each others' hands. His heart had never felt so light and full of happiness. He simply could not believe that this was finally about to happen. At first he had merely been worried about not gaining a soul in time, but now he was purely happy just to be marrying the knight. His love for the handsome red head had grown immensely throughout the past few months, and he sincerely hoped that the red head felt the same. Roxas found that he now looked forward starting the day by waking next to the knight, safely nestled in his arms and just spending the day with him, learning new things; unlike spending the day mechanically and just following repetitive routines as he did before the red head had entered had entered his life.

He finished off brushing his short spiky locks. He took a good look at himself through his looking glass to make sure that he looked as perfect as possible for his lover.

Once he was satisfied, he waited until his father came to tell him that it was time to make his way into the garden. He looked at the shell bracelet, which was currently sitting on the small table beside his parents' bed. He had temporarily left it there so that he may wash and dress for the special occasion. It was then that he realised, as he placed it back over his wrist, that very soon now, should the rules of the curse remain true, that the fisherman's _true _daughter would return from the sea. Roxas started to wonder what it would be like. Would his-or technically _her _parents- be so happy that would eventually push him aside? After all, he _did _have Axel now, and he realised just how much he truly loved him. Even if he had been born like normal mer folk, he doubted that he would ever feel more content then what he did living this simple life with him. However, he still felt a slight jolt of fear and jealousy sweep through him at the though of loosing the people who had raised him to someone else. What if they considered her to be worth more to them then him? A sudden knock at the door snapped the blond out of his sorrowful thoughts. He decided that no matter what happened he wouldn't be alone, and that it was right for his parents to get to know their own child, whether he was in the picture or not.

His father entered the room, wearing a smart shirt in a similar style to Roxas', except his was a very dark green, along with a pair of black breeches. "We're ready for you now, son" he said, smiling kindly. The word 'son' made Roxas' heart jolt a little. The fisherman must have noticed his reaction and misinterpreted it, as he said "worry not, everything is perfect, Axel is waiting for you. Everything will be fine. Your mother and I are so happy and proud. A knight is a fine match indeed" he said with a wink. Roxas blushed and looked down at his bracelet, fiddling with it nervously. The fisherman laid a hand on Roxas' arm in comfort. "Come" he said with a gentle smile "let us not keep your fiancé waiting"; with that he and Roxas walked outside to the back of the garden. The sight that awaited him was truly astonishing. There were flowers _everywhere_. Entwined around the tree trunks, scattered along the floor making them look as thought they had sprung from the ground purely for this special occasion. But what amazed Roxas the most was the two parallel lines of candles, creating a bright glowing pathway leading up to the stone alter. The alter itself also had candles, one for each element; a red one for fire, a white one for air, a green one for earth and a blue one for water. No doubt they were also items passed down by his parents' family ancestors, as large, colours or decorative candles were normally expensive, only available to well off people and nobles.

Despite everything he had seen so far, the most enchanting sight in the garden was his beloved knight, standing by the altar. His armour was freshly polished and appeared to create a soft silver aura like glow in the moonlight. He smiled beautifully as his emerald eyes came into contact with Roxas' sapphire blue ones. His naturally pale skin practically glowed in the soft candle light. Roxas gaped in awe at his husband to be; he looked almost heavenly. Roxas found himself blushing slightly, his heart hammered against his chest in a mixture of nerves and excitement.

Axel found himself feeling very much the same. His heart palpated against his ribcage, as he watched Roxas slowly and shyly walking towards him, his golden hair glowing in the soft candle light, his eyes as bright as stars; a sweet smile graced upon his lips. The fisherman left Roxas and went to join his wife, who was clothed in her best dress, which was forest green with long sleeves which hung down to her waist. The middle of the torso section of the dress was white, with silken golden coloured threads woven with a strange Celtic design across it. A band of small flowers such as forget me knots, buttercups and daisies crowned her head. They both watched with bright expressions as Roxas slowly made his way down the pathway of candle light. He held his hands in front of him, seeing as he wasn't holding a bouquet, his eyes focused on Axel and only Axel. He watched as the soft ocean breeze slowly caressed through his red hair and with it carrying the soothing sound of the ocean waves. When he finally approached Axel he found himself too love struck to manage a proper greeting. All he did manage was a blush and a small "hi". Axel responded softly, smiling at Roxas adorningly. They joined hands and the preacher began. He took a silk ribbon and gently tied it around their wrists, binding them together, before picking up a wooden staff which had been leaning against the stone alter and with it walked around the couple drawing a circle in the ground. Once he was finished he began his speech. "Everything in life is represented with a circle. The sun which lights the morning sky, its light representing life, just as the moon represents darkness, like the night; ying and yang, complete opposites, as with all of the elements of the world; all very different, but all equally important in maintaining the balance of life. All revolve round in an elemental cycle, water wins over fire, fire over earth, earth over air. So as the circle of life creates a strong elemental balance in the world, so shall your love for each other.

No matter the storms that you may face, though the raging seas may seem un-tameable, may your love for each other conquer all, and bring your hearts closer together as one."

Roxas was reminded of the dreams he used to have. He smiled happily at the red head; Axel had tamed his stormy seas already. The red head smiled back lovingly, giving Roxas' hands a quick supportive squeeze, his emerald eyes gleaming.

"Now" the preacher continued, "we may begin the declaration of intentions.

Do you, Axel, take Roxas to be your life partner?

To be his constant companion,

His true love,

To love him without reservation,

To honour and respect him,

To protect him from harm,

To comfort him in times of distress,

To connect with him in mind, body and soul, as long as your love shall last?"

"I do" Axel answered, smiling a beautiful smile at the young blond, who's eyes sparkled joyously, as he smiled brightly.

"Do you, Roxas, take Axel to be your life partner,

To be his constant companion,

His true love,

To love him without reservation,

To honour and respect him,

To protect him from harm,

To comfort him in times of distress,

To connect with him in mind, body and soul, as long as your love shall last?"

"I do" Roxas smiled, blushing shyly as he shared bright smiles with his beloved red head. "You may now exchange rings" the celebrant said, as he handed Axel one of the rings Roxas had presented him the day before, which he gently slipped over Roxas' finger; Roxas followed suit afterwards, smiling shyly as he slipped the other ring over Axels' finger. The two pearls shimmered together in the moonlight.

"Then, by the light of the moon and the ever lasting stars, I am happy to pronounce that you are husbands and soul mates; may your love last for an eternity. You may now kiss to seal the pledge" the celebrant concluded.

Axel and Roxas gladly complied. Wrapping his new husband in his arms, Axel leaned forward to capture the blonds' lips. They smiled into the kiss sighing softly; Axel gently placed a hand behind Roxas' head pulling him closer. Roxas mirrored his actions, running his hands through the knights' soft red spikes. This time, however, Axel took the kiss to a whole new level. He gently placed the tip of his tongue against the blonds' lips, silently requesting and invitation to enter the blonds' mouth. At first Roxas seemed confused. Mer folk certainly didn't do this; but he slowly parted his lips and allowed the red head to complete the kiss. It was a strange yet sensational experience, and soon Roxas managed to kiss in sync with Axel, their tongues gently caressing in each others mouths. They both moaned as an unusual pleasure rippled through their bodies, tingled down their spines, warmed their very hearts and made it feel as though thousands of little butterflies were fluttering inside if their stomachs.

"My, such a passionate kiss" the fisherman's' wife said blushing, wondering if they should still be watching. Suddenly the spectators gaped in awe, as the kissing couple were suddenly surrounded with an aura of white light. Roxas suddenly felt a rush of energy within him, causing his heart to beat faster; it was almost as if the moon itself was gifting them with some of its own power. Roxas knew that this must be soul sharing. He was now officially a person, not a nobody mer boy with an uncertain future. Two halves made a whole, and now he and Axel were one. Gradually the glowing subsided and the couple broke from the kiss, panting softly. Axel smiled brightly, resting his forehead on Roxas', who kept his eyes closed for a little while longer to savour the moment. Eventually he revealed his eyes to his new husband, who looked at him with pure love and contentment.

"We are now one of the same soul, Axel" Roxas said, mirroring his husbands' expression. "Finally, we are one".

Axel gently rubbed their nose together affectionately, before he leaned in once again, to capture the blonds' for another kiss.

**A/N: **I did a lot of research for paganism traditions for this story ^_^ it's quite interesting actually- not that I'm a pagan myself – but it was fun to learn about. Although there are many variations but I chose to stick with the more common basics. Oh, I also varied with the use of the word priest & celebrant, just to make things sound interesting rather then using priest all the time, & its paganism not a church wedding, so I thought it would be better that way. Also, did any one else get a Lion King theme song in their heads when the celebrant was talking about the circle of life 0_o~ I thought about changing it, but decided I'd leave it in to see if any one else did, or if I'm just a bit of a mad hatter. I hope this chapter was still interesting, I was going to try and add more to it, but couldn't think how without going off the plot, so I left it. Let me know what you think ^_^/ ma ta na


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight-Love Passion and Completion.

A/N: Hello again! I'd like to say a big thank you to Twisted-Virus, Ldrmas & Roses and Diamonds & ..

for alerting/reviewing :D

Ok I've never written a sex scene before, so I'm sorry if it's corny, crap or just down right hilarious, but not in a good way *chuckles nervously* but I'm enough of a yaoi fan to have a basic idea of what makes a good scene ^_~ I hope things turned out ok. I don't always like things to be 'smutty', things like this can be beautiful with genuine affection, so I guess I tried to add a bit more to the emotional side of things too, as well as sexy stuff if that makes sense. I guess it makes me a bit of a sap, too, but ah well :p Anyhoo, on to the long awaited marriage 'consummation'-wow, posh word!

Metal armour clattered loudly to the floor as the couple hastily removed it in a fit of passion. Falling backwards onto the bed, their lips locked in yet another passionate kiss; the newly weds taking more interest in each other rather then showing respect for knightly armour, or caring whether or not the noise it caused as it reached the floor was disrupting for anyone else in the house. Their necklaces and Roxas' bracelet lay out of the way on the bedside table.

Pleasure filled moans emitted from their throats as their tongues fought for dominance. They temporarily broke the kiss, panting softly. Axel bridged over Roxas, whose sapphire eyes were alight with desire. "Roxas" Axel feverishly whispered the blonds' name, nuzzling into his lovers' neck before gently nipping at his skin, in soft chaste yet passionate kisses. Roxas groaned softly, tilting his head slightly to allow the red head more access to his skin. The blond ran his hands through Axels' hair, delightful shivers rippling through his body. Axel took hold of the blonds' hand and lifted it above his head, entwining their fingers together as he did so; trailing the tip of his tongue down Roxas' neck and glided it along the blonds' prominent collar bone. When he reached the nape of his neck, where the two collar bones met, he began to suck a nibble gently; causing Roxas to tilt his head back into the pillows and moan softly, sensual shivers running through his body followed by a warm fluttery sensation which dominated within his stomach. The red head slowly released the blonds' hand, gently caressing his lovers' fingers as he did so, and slowly trailed them down his cheek, neck and sides, and finally resting them on the blonds' thigh, before gently cupping the most sensitive areas, massaging gently with his expert hand, all the while kissing and nipping the blonds' neck. His lover moaned in gratification, the heat in his abdomen increasing. Axel slowly moved his hands in a caressing manner to Roxas' sides, and began to gently lift his shirt up over his head, exposing the blonds' lean, toned slightly heaving chest.

The red head tossed his lover's shirt over the side of the bed and hummed with pleasure as Roxas' hands slipped under his own, his finger gently sliding against the red heads' skin. Soon his shirt had joined Roxas' and the two lovers thrilled in the wonderful feeling of naked skin against naked skin. Roxas gently ran his hands over Axels' muscular arms and back, moaning against the red heads' lips as he returned them to the blonds' mouth. Then, much to Roxas' surprise and pleasure, Axels' lips left his and began to press them against his chest. Exciting the blond even more, he began to slowly and sensually run his tongue down his lovers' chest, getting lower and lower. Roxas writhed a little and his breath hitched as Axel used gentle yet stealthy fingers to remove the blonds' under garments.

He began to tenderly kiss his stomach, trailing his tongue down to the hips where he began to suck on the protruding bone. Roxas writhed again, a soft groan once more involuntarily escaping his lips. This was the most intense experience he had ever felt. He never would have imagined that human mating-or 'sex 'or 'love making' as Axel had referred to it- would be so-_creative. _Roxas' excitement intensified, causing him to moan loudly and arch his hips in sync with the red heads' caressing hand; throwing his head back into the pillow, arching his back in sheer unbelievable pleasure, pressing his fingers deep into the mattress below him. Axel smiled proudly, loving the sound of his new husbands' moans and hearing his name breathed passed those perfect rosy lips as intense pleasure tore through his body. Roxas, however, had a few surprises of his own. He slowly raised his hands and brushed his fingers down the red heads' back and peeled away his own breeches, caressing his leg sensually against the red heads' newly exposed thigh. Axel groaned in response, beginning to feel his own abdomen heat up. His husbands' passionate kisses, moans and calls of his name excited him all the more. Soon the knight couldn't hold back any longer, he needed more; much more.

Roxas found that he, too, craved more skin contact. "Axel" he moaned, almost pleadingly as the red heads caresses to his intimate area became firmer and more gratifying- more _needy._

It was now that he decided to take their romantic session to a whole new level. He pressed his hips into Roxas' and began to grind against him; a moan of sheer satisfaction tore through his throat, relishing the wonderful feeling as his abdomen tightened. Axel tilted his head back a little as the friction between him and Roxas increased intensely.

He cried the blonds' name as he began to arch his back in sync to Axels' hips, causing intense ripples of pleasure to course through both of their bodies, now radiating heat and slick with perspiration. Axel took both of his husbands' hands and gently placed them above his head, entwining their fingers as he claimed the blonds' lips, moaning due to the heavenly sensation, which was causing the heat in both of their stomachs to intensify. Their breathing became more laboured; Roxas' gasped sharply, a heavy blush running across his nose. His words and groans became muffled as Axel claimed his lips once more, only this time much more passionately, his tongue caressing Roxas', both moaning against each others' lips as their bodies moved as one.

The pressure in Axels' groin was intense, he was ready, he craved more; he _needed _more. He could feel Roxas hard against him, also close to climax. 'Roxas' the red head gasped, lips close to his lovers ear. He could almost _taste_ the air, a mixture of perspiration and pre-sex . 'Are you ready?' He asked softly, a little unsure; Roxas was still innocent, untouched, pure. He couldn't bear to hurt him.

Roxas however had no doubts, he was ready, he'd finally found the love of his life, his soul mate; he had never experienced such pleasure, emotionally, spiritually or physically.

'I'm ready' he replied, nuzzling slightly into his husband's cheek, soft breath caressing the red heads' dampened skin.

For a moment their eyes held, emerald green bearing into sapphire blue. 'I love you' Axel said, momentarily brushing a finger against his lover's cheek. Roxas' eyes sparkled at the comment; he raised his hand to Axels' cheek briefly, gently pulling the red head in for a tender kiss. For a second Axel hesitated. 'Please, do not fear to give word if-'

Roxas placed his fingers against the red heads' lips, silencing him, before kissing him lovingly once more; diminishing what doubts the red head had. Axel brushed against Roxas' groin a few more times, before _slowly _entering him. For a moment Roxas gasped and tensed at the discomfort, but sensing Axels' regret and seeing his worried gaze he relaxed, the pain diminishing slightly. With silent permission from Roxas, Axel began to gently move inside him, keeping his eyes on Roxas' expressions; his eyes closed, perfect feathery eyelashes fluttering now and then, gasps and sighs pouring from his perfect lips, so soft, so kissable. Axel leaned forward to capture those lips in a chaste kiss; his pleasure intensifying as the heat from Roxas radiated through him. He arched his back slightly, moaning as he continued to move. Waves of pleasure surged through him as Roxas slowly and gently began to roll his hips in sync, gasping softly as he did so.

It was an exhilarating experience for Roxas, as he and his husband moved as one, the dull ache in his body gave way to pleasure gradually growing within him. Slowly but sensually Axel moved, hips gently rocking and grinding, groaning as Roxas pushed back; the blond crying out slightly as Axel pushed deeper, touching a part within Roxas more pleasurable then before. Axel moaned once more, the heat around him burned throughout his body, a passionate fire ignited within. He quickened the pace slightly; careful to remain gentle, yet Roxas began to move with more vigour and lust. The blond wanted more, _needed _more with each thrust sending jolts of pleasure throughout every part of his body.

He cried his husbands' name, the red head responding by closing the small gap between them with a fierce kiss; their hearts pounding in their chests.

'Let me repay you for being such a wonderful husband." Roxas said breathlessly a sly smile adorning his face. Before the red head could respond Roxas managed to flip him over and was now lying above him, his lover looked up surprised. Roxas took the lead and began to grind his hips against Axels' once more, looking deep into his lovers' eyes. The red head chuckled slightly as Roxas took his hand and held it above his head, kissing him passionately, their tongues caressing together. They both moaned in sheer pleasure against each others lips. After a while, Roxas broke the kiss, both lovers panting heavily. Axel groaned loudly, leaning back into the pillows as Roxas' movements practically melted with his own. He certainly hadn't expected this, not that he minded at all. The thought of being at the mercy of his husband was certainly exhilarating; his abdomen tightened even more so at the mere thought. The timidness and sensitivity was extinguished by sheer desire. He moaned the blonds' name as their hips continued to grind, savouring the sweet taste of his husbands' lips as they melted into his own. Roxas then arched his back a little at the wonderful, almost unbearable pleasure pulsing through his entire body. He groaned, whispering his husbands' name.

Roxas then had a creative idea of his own. He slowly leaned forward, brushing his skin against the red heads as he did so, causing his husband to shudder delightedly, as he slowly began to lick the shell of his ear. Axel groaned softly, massaging a hand through his lovers' dampened hair, his other trailing fingers softly down Roxas' back, before caressing his thigh and behind. Roxas hummed, enjoying Axels' movements, before he began to gently suck and nibble on the red heads' ear lobe, kissing the shell again before returning to sucking and nibbling. This simple gesture felt wonderful for the red head, who shakily breathed his husbands' name, their hips continuing to grind as their limbs tangled together. Their breathing became even more laboured, Roxas picking up the pace as they were coming to the end of their intimate session. Feverish whispers of each others' names excited them all the more, and they delighted in the increasing pressure in their abdomens. Roxas began to kiss and nip Axels' jaw line, whilst massaging the pert nodes on his chest.

"Roxas!" he breathed desperately and pleadingly, knowing that he was about to reach his limit. Roxas increased the force in which he rocked his hips against Axels', and after and brief period of tension and crying out each others' name, they finally came to an exhilarating climax, before they released the tightness and heat within their abdomens.

Axel and Roxas both panted heavily, Roxas unable to hold himself up any longer collapsed onto his lovers' chest. Their chests remained heaving for a few minutes, lungs burning as their hearts beat rapidly; so much so that they could feel the beat of each others pounding against their skin. Perspiration dampened their hair and glistened over their exposed bodies. They lay with half lidded eyes for a few moments, Axel gently running a hand through his husbands' golden locks.

"My" he breathed. "You little dark horse, you" he said, still panting softly, proud of his young lovers accomplishments. They could feel each others' hearts slowing to a normal rhythm. Roxas wearily lifted his head to face his husband.

"What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"It means" Axel said, slowly leaning up to plant a chaste kiss on his lovers' dampened forehead "that you are capable of things people wouldn't consider you capable of."

"Oh, well I had a wonderful teacher first. I just improvised from there" Roxas chuckled, before weariness grew over him once more and he lowered his head to rest in Axels' chest again. The red head chuckled in response, kissing the top of Roxas' head. They lay together, panting softly as an over whelming sense of satisfaction and tiredness over came them, both feeling complete. They were now officially one with each other in mind, body and soul. Axel belonged to Roxas, just as Roxas belonged to him. Too weary to move from their current position, they fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, their limbs still tangled together on top of some very twisted bed sheets. This day could not have been more perfect.

A/N: Well that was my attempt at creating a passionate scene without going full on-hey don't get me wrong, I love my Yaoi, I just didn't think that 'hard core' suited the mood I was trying to create, as I said earlier. I hope it wasn't too disappointing or repetitive. If you guys think it need improving feel free to let me know & I'll review it. Hope you enjoyed! ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

Return to the Sea

Golden strips of sunlight shone through the curtains of Roxas' bedroom. The newly wedded couple lay nestled in each others' arms. The morning lark sang his song as if welcoming in the dawn. Gradually Axel began to stir, and slowly opened his eyes, half lidded. A small loving smile pursed on his lips, before sleep enticed his heavy eyelid's to close once more. He gently wrapped an arm around Roxas and pulled him closer to his body in a one armed embrace. Just as the red head drifted off into another peaceful sleep, a content smile upon his lips, Roxas awoke-his eyes also half lidded. The blond sighed happily, resting his eyes on his lovers' sleeping face; the memories of the night before brushing passed his mind, still hazy from sleep. Roxas nuzzled into Axels' chest, feeling the redhead gently squeeze back in response. A few hours later as the sun gradually rose higher in the sky, the couple slowly stirred once more. Axel was the first to awaken, emerald eyes opening to the beautiful sight of his sleeping husband; his face so tranquil, his long eyelashes feathered across his closed sapphire eyes. Axel gently trailed his finger across the blonds' soft cheek; this was possibly one of the happiest moments in his life, nothing could possible ruin it. Shortly afterwards Roxas opened his eyes. He smiled brightly at Axel, muttering a small "hi".

"Morning beautiful" Axel replied fondly, leaning forward to capture the blonds' lips. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Roxas hummed happily in response and nuzzled his head under Axels' chin.

"So, what shall our first day as soul mates bring?" the red head asked softly, kissing the tip of Roxas nose. Roxas hummed again and closed his eyes once more, and just when Axel was wondering whether he had fallen asleep again, his eyes sprung open as if a wonderful idea had come to him. "Perhaps, perhaps we could return to the sea" he said, suddenly looking thoughtful. Axels' eyes widened in surprise, "return to the sea? But I thought that you would be cured of the curse now that we are-"

"No, no, I meant that we can visit. I haven't been to my birthplace for fourteen years; I've almost forgotten what it was like to swim through the cool waters of the ocean. I-I think I would like to see what became of the people I knew. Although I did not react much towards them-after all, I wasn't able to-they were simply happy to sit with me and keep me company. Mer-children are not as loud and disruptive as some human children can be, so I did not mind sitting in their company. Perhaps I could go back and show them how much I have changed, and I could introduce them to the wonderful human being who saved me" Roxas said, a small blush creeping across his cheeks at his last comment.

"Go _that_ far underwater? I hate to disappoint you but I could not possibly go that far into the sea; I would surely drown."

"No, you will be with me" Roxas said, smiling softly as he looked into his husbands' eyes. "As long as you stay with me you should be fine. How do you think that the humans who fell in love with a mer person survived underwater? They were with their loved ones, as long a you have a spiritual connection to the sea, such as soul sharing with a mer-person, you should be perfectly fine."

Axel had heard of humans who had fallen so desperately in love with a mer-person that they had abandoned everything they had on land and went into the ocean to be with them, never to be seen or heard from again. There had always been tales which caused one to assume that the human's-too drunken with their love of their mer-lover -had willingly gone into deeper depths almost forgetting themselves and had unnecessarily drowned, or sometimes their mer-lovers in their enthusiasm to show their lovers' their world had pulled them down deep into the sea, thus unintentionally drowning them and having to suffer the guilt and heartbreak of their loss.

"They do not die" Roxas explained. "Some mer-folk prefer to live on land, other times humans prefer to live in the sea, a place no other human could possibly survive. It is a rare privilege".

"Well, then I would be truly honoured" Axel replied, smiling shyly.

"I just hope that they accept me" Roxas murmured. "After all, humans who live with their mer-lovers are with someone who has a connection to the sea, so they are welcomed, but I was taken away so early, and was born with no soul at all. Perhaps they will treat me like an outsider."

"I doubt that. Perhaps you will be reunited with your biological parents. I'm sure that they would be truly happy and proud to see how you have turned out." Axel nuzzled into Roxas' head. The blond hummed thoughtfully; "I hope that will be the case. Although now I am even more nervous, and suppose we come across my, well, foster parents' _real _daughter-"

"Hmm, I'm sure she will understand. After all, it was not your choice to take her place" Axel replied.

"Perhaps you are right. At least then I can explain everything."

"I'm sure that she will already know. They wouldn't keep her in the dark all these years." Axel said, entwining his fingers with Roxas'

Roxas hummed thoughtfully. "Either way, I have to face my demons some time, right?" Roxas said, gently playing with Axels' fingers.

"Hmm, as a knight I know that very well" the red head answered, almost smiling at a somewhat ironic distant memory.

"So, to the ocean?" he asked.

Roxas let out a deep sigh; "Yes, to the ocean, I would very much like to show you my birth world".

"And I would very much like to see you with a mer-tail" Axel teased. Roxas blushed and whined a little, causing the red head to laugh and kissed the top of his bashful husbands' head.

"So, let us get ready" Axel said, nuzzling into Roxas again before slowly sitting up and stretching.

"Umm, Axel" Roxas mumbled, suddenly feeling confused and for reasons unknown to him, slightly embarrassed.

"Mmmm?" Axel responded, looking down at the blond.

"Uh, um, what-what is this?" Roxas asked shyly, pointing to a particular substance on the sheets. Axel looked down to see what Roxas was talking about, before realisation struck causing him to flush slightly; _'Oh the gods, how to explain this!' _ Axel thought, nervously, running a hand through his hair.

The sun had risen high in the sky, indicating midday. Axel and Roxas had washed their bed sheets after Axel had explained as best as he could the answer to Roxas' question. "So, if I was a woman I would be-"

"In the early stages of pregnancy" Axel finished, blushing almost as darkly as his hair.

He was surprised that Roxas wasn't already aware of this, surely his parents should have spoken to him about this before; he _was _seventeen after all. Perhaps a lack of a heart and soul gave them no reason to explain such things.

"My, what a thought" Roxas mumbled, also blushing.

They went back inside to have breakfast-which was quite awkward what with Roxas' mother looking at them shyly, a pink tinge on her cheeks, which was odd for Roxas as he had never seen his mother blush before. His father on the other hand seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason. Perhaps-Roxas thought with a blush-they had been a little too vocal during their lovemaking.

The newly wed couple briefly told them of their daily plans-which struck a little interest and worry as to what may happen afterwards, especially since they may come across Namine. Non- the less, they prepared to leave.

As they bustled round the house Roxas' mother couldn't help the dreaded feeling that was increasing in her stomach; her memories of the terrible night during the storm when she had lost her little girl. The white faces at the window, the haunting laughter, blaming herself all these years for the supposed 'death' of their daughter. What had become of her? Did she still resemble a human? Did she have knowledge of the common tongue, and customs of a human society, or was she purely an almost alien race? Tainted and ruined, forever different to the sweet innocent carefree child she so sorrowfully remembered? How could anyone justify kidnapping a child from her home to be replaced with another purely because their own wasn't good enough for them? She chided herself, realising how bitter and cruel she was being. It wasn't Roxas' fault how things had turned out, but _knowing _the fact that all these years she had still cried herself to sleep at night thinking of her baby, plagued with dreams of her crying as the waters swept her baby away right out of her mothers weakened grasp, all these things had been a lie, and Roxas _knowing _all of this, right under her nose; it was almost infuriating. She knew part of her was being unfair, but she couldn't help herself. She had unknowingly been putting bowls and cooking utensils away in such a manner that her husband had to place a hand upon her arm, his eyes holding hers in a silent enquiry. She smiled meekly shaking her head, glancing towards Roxas' room; luckily he and Axel were inside and hadn't noticed. Her husband followed her gaze, and returned to her with a sympathetic smile, thinking that his wife was afraid of loosing Roxas in the very waters that had claimed their little girl. She decided to keep her feelings to herself. There was no reason to taint her husband's mind with such polluted thoughts.

After saying goodbye, the couple made their way down to the beach hand in hand. The fisherman stood outside with his wife, who waved telling them to return safely, giving no inclination of the feelings she had had moments before. When they arrived, Roxas saw the ocean in a whole new light. "I'm not afraid anymore" he said with a soft smile. Axel squeezed his hand supportively. "For the first time in fourteen years, I'm not afraid anymore. I was always worried that I wouldn't find love in time and the sea witch would take me away to be at her mercy; or that my mer-self didn't exist anymore, seeing as I have lived away from the water for so long. I always worried that if I ever did enter the sea it would pull me down like any mortal and I would drown. Quite ironic, isn't it?" He chuckled. "A mer-person being afraid of drowning" Axel looked at his lover sympathetically. "But not now, I am ready to go back". This time he squeezed Axels' hand. "As long as I am with you, I do not fear the water".

Axel thought that it was _he _who should fear the water without Roxas, after all, _he _was the mortal one technically, but he chose not to say this in front of Roxas. Said blond turned to his nervous yet excited husband "Let us explore?"

"Let us explore" Axel replied, trying to conjure a reassuring smile.

The sea breeze whipped through their hair as they descended from the beach down to the waters. Having removed their shoes-originally expecting thick dunes of sand- they found that the shore was layered with shale & pebbles, which applied uncomfortable pressure to their feet making it quite difficult to walk, but they did so laughing slightly at their unsteadiness, holding onto each others' arm for support, while trying to keep their other arm outstretched for balance. "Oh, that certainly wasn't pleasant, I didn't realise that the shore would be quite so harsh, next time I think I'll remove my shoes at the waters' edge." Axel said a little irritated with himself.

"Well, it was worth it to see you looking silly wobbling side to side like an intoxicated crab" Roxas teased.

"Hey, you were walking just the same" the red head retorted playfully. "Besides, I'm not the one about to become part fish" he added slyly. Roxas gasped in mock shock. "Well if that's' how you feel you can just swim by yourself" he said, folding his arms and snubbing his husband pretending to be mad. When he heard no response from the red head he turned to find Axel scrunching his face up as though he had been struck. At first Roxas looked a little confused and alarmed, before Axel opened one eye to look at his legs. "Nope, didn't grow a tail, hey Roxas, help me out on this!" Roxas' worry lifted and he slapped his husband on the am playfully for his silliness.

"Stop that!" he said in a mock scalding manner.

Axel chuckled "alright, alright, I'll behave."

"You're so silly sometimes" Roxas replied, smirking.

"You make me silly" replied the red head. Just then they felt the cool waters of the ocean wash over their feet, as if to remind them what they were there for.

"Come, let me show you my birth world" Roxas said, taking his husband by the hand, walking into the water. "Good grief it's cold!" Axel exclaimed as they waded deeper.

"I feel alright, the water feels soothingly cool".

"Well, you would feel okay, you were born in it!" Axel reminded him. Roxas chuckled, before suddenly remembering something important. "Oh, I almost forgot" he said, removing his breeches. Upon seeing Axels' confused expression he said "to wear once we return to land, I do not wish to walk around naked, and I fear they may rip when, um, you know-" he finished with a cute blush. He removed his shirt too, and left the clothing on a large rock. "I hope that the tide does not come in too soon" he mumbled. He would be mortified if his clothes were washed away and he arrived with nothing to wear, particularly if Namine was with him. He was sure that his body wasn't the first thing she wanted to witness after years of life under the sea. That was, _if_ she decided to come back with them. After all, she may have grown attached to her lifestyle with the mer-people. Roxas was suddenly awoken from his thoughts when he began to feel a little unstable, his legs suddenly wouldn't support him.

"Roxas, are you alright?" Axel asked worriedly, gripping onto the blond.

"Yeah, I guess, just keep moving" he replied, as the unusual sensation continued. His legs were starting to feel almost gelatos. When the water was up to their mid torso Roxas suddenly collapsed under the waves, unable to support his body weight any longer. "Roxas!" Axel cried, before grabbing the blond before he disappeared into the oceans' depths. He pulled Roxas up by his arms. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly. "I-I think so" the blond replied, suddenly feeling as though his legs were fusing together.

Axel cried out in surprise, flinching as something brushed past his calf.

"Um, that-that would be me" Roxas replied sheepishly, lifting out of the water the fins of a long silvery fish tail. Axels looked on in shock.

"It-worked" he whispered in awe. He gently poked Roxas' tail fin.

Said blond chuckled "it looks as though the sea is still a part of me after all".

"How come your father has never noticed you developing a tail?" Axel asked, baffled.

"Simple. I have never been in the ocean all these years. I always stayed on the boat when we were out fishing."

"Well, what about when you bathe? It's never happened then".

"I guess it is because we only used the brook near out house, which isn't very deep; also I was still under the witch's spell. That was part of the agreement, that I could never regain my fins and return to the sea unless I either gained a soul-"here he pause to gratefully hug the redhead, who grinned in response

"- or, well, returned with her, a mindless empty shell for her to work at her command; I am sure you have seen how cruel she is" Roxas said, lowering his head sadly.

"If I could have done, I would have taken your place. I could not bear to think what would have happened if-." Axel began, before cutting himself off, hugging the blond to him, fearing the very thought.

"Fear not, we are fine now. Although I cannot understand how easily we succeeded. Surely she would have tried to stop us?"

Axel suddenly became quite nervous, thinking back to his last meeting with the witch, and the kiss she had stolen. He slowly put his fingers to his lips, wondering why she hadn't appeared before Roxas to boast about it and slyly asked him how he had not known about it yet. Was she merely biding her time? The soft concerned voice of his lover brought him out of his worrisome thoughts. Roxas placed a hand on the red heads arm. "What is it?" he asked softly. Axel wasn't sure how to answer. He could not bear to break his soul mates' heart, so instead he said "nothing, I am fine, come now, we have a whole new world awaiting us! I cannot believe that I am going to be one of the only humans in the world who has seen the world of mer folk!" Roxas chuckled at his lovers' apparent enthusiasm. He wrapped his arms around Axels' neck and pulled himself up by his powerful tail to capture his husbands' lips. "Lets us be off then!" he said cheerfully. "Remember, stay close to me, okay?"

"As if I'd want to be anywhere else" Axel replied, resting his forehead against Roxas'. His other motive for these words were his still slightly present fear of drowning, but of course he didn't want to worry Roxas with his negative thoughts, so he kept them to himself; until another thought came to him. "Um, so, so will I be able to breath underwater?" He said nervously.

"Hmm, I don't think that you will need to breath at all" Roxas answered thoughtfully. "We shall have to see. If-if things do not work out as they should let me know right away, and I will re-surface, okay?" This last comment wasn't exactly reassuring to Axel. How far underwater would they be before he realised that he needed to breathe? Despite his fears, he nodded in agreement, taking a deep breath anyway as they both dived into the ocean's depths, Roxas' powerful tail pulling them along with ease.

They travelled deeper into the waves; Roxas laughing joyously at the strange yet wondrous feeling of gliding through the water. It also felt strange to be able to breath underwater. Thinking this he turned to check on Axel. "Are you alright?" He asked. Axel smiled and nodded in response. "So, um, do you need to breathe? Can you talk?" Axel shook his head to the first question and shrugged at the second. He tried to say something simple like 'hello', but it came out as a dull gurgle. Roxas looked a little sympathetic towards his lover. There must be so many things he'd want to ask but not be able to. Axel obviously thought the same thing as his expression became quite forlorn. Roxas gently squeezed his hand in wordless support. "It's alright, I can translate for you" he smiled. Axel rolled his eyes as if the blond had said a bad joke. Speaking of his eyes, he was surprised how clearly he could see things, event though he was underwater the salt had no effect on him at all. Having a spiritual bond with a mer-person truly had its advantages. With Roxas new found strength they had covered many miles already. Axel still felt strange about not being able to breath, he didn't even have any pressure building up in his chest as one normally would when holding their breath for too long. Suddenly he noticed something up ahead and pointed to it excitedly. Roxas looked ahead to see some rock formations decorated with what appeared to be starfish and barnacles, unusually shaped branches of coral in a wonderful variety of colours littered across the rocks, almost like an underwater forest. Schools of silver fish flashed by, swimming together in smooth fluid movements, almost like a synchronised underwater ballet; their silvery scales glinting in the golden rays of sunlight which were strong enough penetrate through the water. Long crimped strips of sea weed elegantly danced in the gently currents of the water while vibrant red crabs scuttled through them in their trademark sideways walk to and from their homes in the rocks, occasionally using their large pincers to snap at potential prey. Roxas watched the fish with particular interest. "It's simply amazing how they all automatically move in the same direction. How do they know where to swim? Nature is certainly an intelligent mistress."

Axel was looking at the colours of the fish. He pointed to them and then to Roxas' own tail. He then made a sweeping gesture, then back at Roxas' tail. Surprisingly, Roxas found that he understood what the red head meant. "No, I do not think that mer-folks' tails are all the same colour. I think that they are- rather _we- _all vary like humans." Roxas still found it strange that he could now officially include himself when describing mer-folk. Axel continued to look around him thoughtfully. The waters' were now pleasantly warm, and the further they swam the clearer the waters became. They had cleared the tropical coral formations, and were now surrounded by endless clear blue waters', save for the odd plain rock formation; both nervously looking down into underwater canyons which lay daunting and mysteriously below them, a place where no light could penetrate. "Hmm, I wonder where we are now. We haven't seen more then natural wildlife. I wonder even if we're going in the right direction for the home of the mer-people." Roxas frowned, starting to worry. What if they travelled so far out that they couldn't find their way back to land? Suddenly Axel grabbed Roxas' arm in alarm and pointed forward. Roxas stopped swimming and looked to where Axel was pointing. Something was moving amongst a rock formation quite close to them. The two lovers tensed and kept very still, watching and listening for anything. "Hmm, perhaps it was nothing" Roxas mumbled. A flash of something that resembled a fin amongst the rocks caught the blonds' eye. "Or perhaps it is a dolphin!" Axel gave Roxas a quizzical look. "They are sea mammals with longish tails, sleek bodies, flipper fins and a dorsal fin on their back and their foreheads are fairly rounded, depending on the species and they have long noses. They're very friendly. Axel found it hard to imagine and mammal without fur that lived in water. Unwisely, Roxas moved closer to get a better look.

"Hey there, shouldn't you be with your family?" he asked, trying to look behind the rock where the creature had swam. As the couple were looking down, the sea creature disappeared into the rocks. Little did they know that it had swum behind them slowly and stealthily, and was now watching them with beady black eyes. Suddenly Axel caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. His eyes dilated slightly, a strong fear induced tension rippled through him as he turned around slowly, releasing a muffled cry of surprise and fear as he came face to face with the creature. He yanked Roxas back and pulled him to the side as the beast opened its jaws to reveal rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth before snapping them together in an attempt to catch what it deemed as easy prey. Roxas gave a startled yell at the sudden attack, and when he saw what the creature was he fear and panic tore through his heart.

"It's a shark! Move Axel!"

With as much strength as he could Axel tried to kick his feet rapidly to keep up with Roxas as the blond sped through the water. Right now Axel really wished he had a sword or a weapon at some kind. What kind of knight ran from battle? Unfortunately the thought had not occurred to him, although after a while his swords would have been rendered useless due to the salt content of the water anyway.

The shark was gaining on them, and snapped its jaws, attempting to crunch the bones on Axels' leg. In desperation to protect his lover and bide themselves a little time, Roxas unrepentantly swung his body round, and using the full force of his tail struck the shark in the nose-the most sensitive part of its body. The shark writhed in pain, shaking its head from side to side. "Quickly Axel!" the blond cried, now practically dragging the unfortunate red head behind him. Being human Axel wasn't the strongest of swimmers, and he soon began to grow tired, but he desperately tried not to slow Roxas down. If the occasion called for it, he would have to let go and allow Roxas to escape. Whether he would drown first or be eaten alive he didn't know, but Roxas' safety was his main priority. They sped on ahead, Roxas doing most of the swimming, but it wasn't long before the shark recovered and began the chase once more. Axel tried to keep up and make swimming easier for Roxas, but his thighs were burning, his legs felt as thought they were encased in lead. His fingers began to slip through Roxas', who was now panting heavily. He still wasn't fully used to swimming with a mer-tail, and he too was becoming tired. "Axel- no!" he pleaded breathlessly. Unless he was able to find a loose sharp rock, or something similar, Axel wasn't sure what he could do to stop the shark. He looked at Roxas apologetically, his emerald eyes sorrowful. Roxas painfully gripped Axels' hand as tightly as he could to prevent him from slipping away.

"Axel, please, don't let go! Hold on!"

"I'm trying" the red head wanted to say. He wanted to tell Roxas that no matter what he _must_ keep swimming; he _must _get away. Tears burned in the corners of Roxas' eyes. He looked around desperately for somewhere to shelter in. This was his fault. He had wanted to explore to ocean, and it was he who unwisely lingered around when he first saw the shark. If he hadn't been so naive they could have gotten away quicker, and perhaps they wouldn't be in such a serious predicament as they were in now. They swam under an arch of stone, connected by a rocky cliff sides which lead to an underwater cavern. Roxas was preparing himself to summon the last of his energy to attack the sharks' nose again when something small and slim shot through the water and almost pierced the shark in the head, just missing Roxas' tail fins. To the couples' relief, the shock of the shooting object had stopped the shark in its tracks. Risking a glance over their shoulders, Axel and Roxas could see that a new line of fire had taken place. What appeared to be arrows streamed through the water with unbelievable speed; this time the arrows hit their target, causing the shark to writhe with pain, blood leaking from its wounds like spilled ink. "Who shot those arrows?"Roxas said gasping, as he and Axel were finally able to rest. If Axel had needed to breathe he was sure his chest would have been heaving. He still couldn't believe that his body had no need for air. Roxas however, was panting heavily. Axel took the blond in his arms and held him close, rubbing his back comfortingly. Roxas gently wrapped the bottom of hid tail around Axels' calves in an affectionate mer-person embrace. "My, you two are certainly close" An unknown voice said. The couple looked up to see a merman approximately Axels' age swimming towards them from the cliff top.

"You were very close to becoming shark bait" he added, smirking as if the idea slightly amused him.

"We had no intention of being chased by a shark" Roxas responded coldly, narrowing his eyes in anger. The merman held his hands in front of himself as if in surrender. "At ease friend, I was merely trying to make light of the situation. Eases the fear and tension sometimes, ya know?"

Roxas sighed, feeling slightly guilty; after all, this person had just saved their life.

"Apologies, we just weren't expecting out first trip to the sea to be this hazardous".

"_First _trip?" the merman asked, cocking an eyebrow. Roxas suddenly felt awkward; he had a lot of explaining to do. Axel rubbed his arm sympathetically as the blond became nervous about the merman's long hard gaze. It was almost as if he was trying to remember something. "Wait, your not the _kings' _son by any chance are you, the one who was left in the human world?" The merman asked, almost nervously. Roxas blushed a little and nodded, looking down. The merman stared in disbelief and awe for a few moments, before crying out in excitement; "I do not believe what I'm hearing! Goodness, I cannot believe that you managed to break the curse! Was the witch hard to defeat? How come we have heard nothing of this until now?"

Before Roxas could answer the merman's attention was quickly diverted as he turned to Axel. "Oooohhh, so _this _must be your human mate? Veeeeery nice" he said, looking at the red head up and down in a judge full way, circling him slowly.

Roxas wasn't sure whether to be flattered by the comment or irritated that another man was eyeing up his husband. Axel made a noise that sounded like he was trying to clear his throat and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Demyx! Find someone else to admire, this ones' obviously taken" a silver haired merman said, joining them. The one addressed as Demyx laughed nervously and ran a hand through his mullet styled hair, a thin strand hung down at each side of his face; neither Axel nor Roxas had seen someone with such a unique style. "Sorry, Riku, I meant no harm" Demyx said timidly. The silver haired merman rolled his eyes, and was soon joined by another, who had short brown hair styled in very wild spikes. His eyes were an amazing deep sea blue, just like Roxas'. Finally, another merman and a mermaid about Roxas' age came down to meet them. "Woah! What did you do to aggravate a great white shark?" The mermaid asked in an excitedly energetic manner.

"Be quiet Yuffie" a merman with long brown hair held back in a pony tail scalded. He had a long thin scar which ran across his face, added to his current scowl he looked very intimidating. The one addressed as Yuffie ran a hand through her short black hair, fiddling with a head scarf which wrapped around her forehead. "Aww, I'm sorry Squall, I didn't mean to be rude." Axel and Roxas found themselves awed by the mer-folk, Roxas especially. These were _his _people, yet he had _no_ idea how to act around them. What was a respectful way to address them by? Did they shake hands or bow, like humans? He especially didn't want to offend the one addressed as 'Squall'. Axel found that he was already feeling out of place. He was at least hoping to meet some humans who had stayed to live with their mer-lovers. It made him wonder if they had somehow changed to become more adaptable to moving through the water. Perhaps they had not developed tails as such, but some sort of amphibious traits, like webbed hands and feet. "He said he's the kings' son!" Demyx said excitedly. Squall raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Did he now? Well, he certainly does resemble the young prince, although it has been a very long time since anyone has seen him. But we shall know for certain when we take him to his majesty". Roxas and Axel glanced at each other in anticipation. The red head gave the blonds' hand an encouraging squeeze, before they slowly took off after the other mer-folk. "

Come on you sea slugs!" Yuffie yelled.

"Our apologies, but we are very tired" Roxas said a little huffily. He was much too tired to force himself to swim any quicker then what they were already doing. Demyx and the mer-boy with short brown hair swam back to them. "We'll give you a helping hand, shall we?" the brunette said, linking arms with Roxas, whilst Demyx did the same with Axel. After Demyxs' previous enthusiasm referring to his husband, Roxas wasn't sure if her was comfortable with this, but noticing the blonds' uncomfortable expression the mulleted merman said "Worry not, I'll behave, I promise". The brunette next to Roxas groaned and rolled his eyes. "Worry not, Demyx is harmless, really. By the way, you probably won't remember me, but I'm Sora" he said, happily holding out his hand. Roxas gave him an incredulous look. The brunette already had a hold on one of his arms, and there was no way he was letting go of Axel. "Oh, right" Sora muttered sheepishly with a goofy grin, as he realised what Roxas meant. Somewhere nearby Riku gave a suppressed snort of laughter. Sora looked over at him, frowning. He turned away, nose pointing in the air dismissively. Demyx chuckled, "This two are always like that". Axel responded with a meek smile to show that he was listening. Roxas chuckled at Sora's expression, trying to remember the brunet from his childhood; feeling bad because his minds' eye was blurry, with memories too cloudy to fully grasp onto. He only really remembered his time on land from the day he was found on the beach. "You're awfully quiet" Demyx commented, nudging Axel in the side playfully. The red head wasn't sure if he was comfortable with Demyx's lack of personal space, but he was glad he didn't have to kick his legs anymore, as Sora and Demyx pulled them along with ease; for that at least he was grateful. Axel merely gave the mulleted merman a look which plainly said _'human- can't talk underwater'. _ Demyx gave him a quizzical look, before he suddenly realised Axels' problem. He laughed heartedly, tilting his head backwards slightly as he did so. "Ah, no worries, we can fix that when we get to the castle".

'_Castle?' _Axel and Roxas thought simultaneously. Suddenly Roxas' stomach churned with nerves. What were his birth parents like? Were they strict, happy, care free? Had they adopted the fisherman's daughter as their own? The thought of meeting her face to face was nerve wracking for Roxas. Soon they could just make out the shape of tall buildings off in the distance. As they swam closer, the buildings appeared to loom ahead of them. It was the city of the mer-people. All of the buildings were so white they appeared to glow as if they had their own life's aura. Ocean flowers and corals of every colour and shape decorated them, entwining around the towers of the buildings, even decorating the marble like streets like small gardens. The doors of the houses were made out of large shells or corals branches. "The buildings are actually made out of pearls" Demyx informed them, laughing at Axel and Roxas' awed expressions.

"Yeah, and when some smaller ones fall out you can make them into pretty jewellery" Yuffie added with a broad smile, showing them a pearl bracelet she was wearing.

"You're not supposed to take the pearls Yuffie, you're supposed to keep them for the builders so that they can reattach them to the buildings" Leon said sternly.

"Aww phooey, don't be such a crab Squall, it's not going to make a difference if I take a few" Yuffie replied, rolling her eye in exasperation. Squall sighed disapprovingly. As they came closer to the entrance of the city they could see four guards at the gates, each holding a large deadly spear, their torsos dressed in golden metal armour and helmets similar to that of Roman soldiers. The group slowed to a halt before the guards. "Who are these two?" one of the guards demanded, pointing a spear towards Roxas. Axel scowled and instinctively moved in front of Roxas protectively. "Why is there a human here? We have not been informed of an interracial marriage recently. You should know that it is forbidden for any human to know of the city's where a bout's." The guards apprehended Axel, much to the shock of the small group and to the horror of Roxas. "Wait! Don't do this!" He cried, trying to reach forward but the guards kept everyone back with spears. They couldn't even reach for the bows and arrows. "We'll have to take him to the king to see what he decides."

"But you don't understand, he really _is _married to Roxas!" Sora cried defensively.

"Unhand him this minute!" Roxas yelled. How _dare _they threaten _his _husband? Roxas moved to knock on of the spears out of the closest guards' hands- a defence move Axel had taught him during his sword fighting lessons. In doing so, the guards not holding onto Axel lunged forward with their spears. Axel cried out the blonds' name, but his voice was muffled by the pressure of the water. To everyone's surprise Squall leaped forward, knocking the spear away with his bow and one swift arm movement swung it onto one of the guards arms, causing him to yell in pain and drop his spear which Squall quickly grabbed onto and thrust its' spear point towards the lead guard offensively. In the brief moment of the other guards' surprise, Squall's group managed to recollect themselves and bring arrows to their bows. Soon the two groups were aiming their weapons at each other, except for the captain of the guards, who looked both shocked and outraged, glaring with intense anger at the older brunet, who held his ground, an angered frown etched in his otherwise handsome face. "Up until recently I was a personal guard to the royal family; they know me well. We will go with you to see his majesty, but-" here Squall raised his voice slightly "You will _not _treat us like common criminals; we have done nothing wrong. This boy-" he gestured to Roxas- "Is the kings' biological son, you should all know what that means". At this statement the other guards glanced at each other nervously, whilst their captain continued to scowl. "The human you are wrongfully apprehending is his mate".

"Um, he means husband" Roxas corrected quietly. He wasn't used to hearing the mer-peoples' term for lover; "You have him to thank for that" Squall continued as if Roxas hadn't spoken. "Two _males?_" the captain sneered.

"It's not as uncommon as you think" Demyx stated firmly, still aiming his arrow, although he shrunk back a little when the guard gave him a dangerous glare for interrupting. "How else would he be able to return to the sea? Was that not the deal the king made with the witch? When Roxas has gained a soul, he is able to return freely. Do you see the witch here?" Riku commented, in a dangerous yet unnervingly calm tone of voice. The captain surrendered slightly; they had a point, although he hated to be proven wrong. Still in a foul mood, he ordered his men to release Axel with a click of his fingers. The angered red head snatched his arms away from his former captives scowling, and swam over to Roxas, who met him half way, eagerly wrapping his arms around his beloved red head and nuzzled into his chest. Yuffie 'awed' at the scene, making Riku roll his eyes and snort as if amused. Axel gently placed a hand under Roxas' chin and tilted his face to see if the blond was injured. Seeing that he wasn't he momentarily rested his forehead against Roxas' before he leaned in and tenderly kissed the blonds' lips. Sora blushed a looked away muttering "oh my". Riku laughed at his innocent friend, gaining an elbow in the ribs in response from the now scowling brunette. Axel and Roxas slowly parted "I am fine" Roxas mumbled against Axels' lips. "Did they hurt you?" the red head gave him a look as if to say _'do you really think they could?' _and pulled the blond into another affectionate embrace. The guards started at them incredulously-one even blushed slightly and looked at his tail fin for distraction, before Squall said in an evenly calm yet dangerous voice "Now that the matter has resolved, let us go to the palace if you will" he gestured onwards.

The captain of the guards growled and ordered his men to continue to the castle. Axel and Roxas held hands again, but then the red head realised something. He gestured to their hands then shaking his head as he pointed to the guards. Roxas assumed that he meant he still hadn't needed to breathe despite the fact that the guards had temporarily separated them. Demyx-who had resumed to pulling the two along- also appeared to understand, for he laughed an almost musical laugh and said "you don't need to stay glued to your partner the whole time; as long as you have a spiritual connection with a mer-person you will be fine. The most common case is being married to one, obviously" Demyx smiled, his eyes twinkling attractively, the couple noticed. They were quite surprised to hear something knowledgeable come out of the mulleted merman, but they merely smiled shyly at him, wanting to seem polite. There seemed to be a sort of aura about Demyx that made you automatically like him, despite his previous lack of personal space; with his cheery nature, almost musical voice and laughter and how he was always trying to make everyone smile.

Swimming through the city escorted by palace guards drew a lot of attention towards the group. Mer-women stopped with their babies strapped to their backs in baby pouches or cradled in their arms and muttered to their friends or husbands, wondering whether the guards had apprehended someone dangerous. Several people looked out of the windows, or stopped halfway through a job that they were doing to gawp at them, especially at the new strangers with them. Roxas looked around nervously, he truly felt as though he wasn't supposed to be there. Axel however was feeling more and more out of place. He looked around trying to see if he could spot any other humans among the mer-people, but so far he hadn't seen any. The numbers of humans living with the mer-people must have only been a small handful. Perhaps they were all looking at _him _because the number of humans was so few. The tense silence was too much for Roxas, so he decided to try and make conversation. "Um, s-so, um, do you know the fisherman's daughter? The-the one who was left here in my place?" he asked Sora nervously. The brunette looked confused for a start, but then his face lit up with realisation. "Ooh, yeah, Riku likes her" he said teasingly, looking slyly towards Riku, who flushed slightly. It was the young silver haired merman's turn to nudge Sora in the ribs. The brunette laughed despite the pain, clutching his side. It was not very often that he was able to successfully tease his friend, so he considered the pain worth it. "I-is she nice?" Roxas asked; unsure whether someone like Riku would be interested in nice girls, or girls with a cool, hard attitude such as himself.

"She's beautiful in both body and mind. Everyone is fascinated by her" Sora replied, still smiling cheekily at Riku, who was now scowling a little; "Oh" Roxas muttered quietly. He hoped that he didn't prove to be a disappointment when the royal family finally met him. Axel gave his hand a comforting squeeze of support and an encouraging smile. Roxas smiled back meekly and gently squeezed back in a silent thank you. "Here we are!" Sora exclaimed happily, as they could see the tall, glistening crystal castle towers emerging over the other mer-peoples' houses, gradually becoming bigger as they swam closer. Roxas gaped in awe as they passed the final set of houses and beheld a mighty castle, the crystal walls glittering magnificently.

The entire surface glistened as though every inch was encrusted with tiny white diamonds, sparkling as beautifully as sunlight would on the waters surface. Great pillars of crystal towered from the castle, each littered with many windows and decorated with shining pearls. Other pillars supported crystal bridges, which joined together with different sections of the castle. It truly was a magnificent sight. Roxas wondered whether Namine would want to live in a simple fisherman's' home after being brought up in such luxury. More guards met them in front of the large castle gates. "Halt, state your business" one of the guards demanded. He was garbed in the same armour as the guards who had escorted the group to the castle itself, except for the fact that they held large shields as well as spears.

"We need to see the king, this boy claims to be his son" the soldier escorting the group said, still scowling, his foul mood from the earlier confrontation still angering him. As expected, the castle guards faltered, all staring at the blond, who blushed heavily and timidly moved closer to Axel. The red head smiled sympathetically and wrapped an arm around the blond. "Are you certain? You do realise the seriousness of you implication?" the castle guard said sternly.

"We are certain" Squall said firmly. Unlike the guards who had escorted the group, the castle guards had known Squall for a long time, and thus both trusted and believed his words, although his story was certainly a surprise. After all, this meant that there were big changes awaiting their kingdom. "And this human is his mate?" the guard said, gesturing to Axel with his spear. "Y-yes, he is" Roxas mumbled shyly, averting his eyes from the guards' piercing stare. "You-you chose another _male? _" One of the other castle guards asked, amazed. They had expected a beautiful human girl. _Oh, curse the gods', is it __so__ hard to accept?_ Roxas thought bitterly, scowling.

"Yeah, isn't it great" Our kingdom will finally be safe from the sea witch!" Yuffie cried happily, punching her fist up. "We will leave this discussion until we meet with the king himself" Squall said coolly, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Alright, we shall grant you an audience with his majesty. Follow me" the captain of the castle guards said, ordering his men to remain at the castle doors, whilst he and the first group of guards continued to escort Roxas' group into the castle. Roxas couldn't shake the embarrassment from within him. He hated the way the guards spoke of him and Axel. He hadn't realised that same sex marriages were such a big deal. Perhaps, despite his hope for things to be different, things were just as strict about such matters in the world of the mer-folk as churches were in the human world. But what did it matter? All Roxas knew was that Axel made him feel happy and special. Love was love, right? Either was he'd gained a soul. He wished everyone would stop treating them like mutants.

Axel frowned sadly, noticing Roxas' sudden sadness and tension. He sighed, feeling guilty for the blonds' unhappiness. He, too, had not considered the consequences of his union with Roxas. He hadn't seen a problem with it. After all, he'd saved Roxas and shared his soul with him, that's all that the mer-people needed to worry about, was it not? They weren't exactly in a position to be picky. As they entered the palace they swam into a huge foyer, which was supported by tall sturdy pillars of crystal almost as thick as tree trunks, which held up a high decorative ceiling. Many aristocratic mer-folk garbed with fine jewels and pearls stopped to watch the group as they swam through. Axel couldn't help but feel bad for Roxas. He knew that the blond was worried about his reputation among his kin, and he felt as though he had dealt Roxas with unnecessary hardships. Roxas appeared to sense Axels' guilt, and he turned to gaze at the red head, who was gazing sadly at the ground. "Axel, this isn't your fault, okay? I love you, and I wouldn't change anything for the world. If they find us so had to accept then we can go back to land. Nothing that they say could possibly make me regret marrying you" Roxas stated firmly, squeezing the red heads' hand for support. He meant every word. No-one was going to separate them. Roxas had chosen Axel to be his mate, and that is how things' would stay. Axel looked up at the blond with a small smile, squeezing back as a thank you. He would have stopped to kiss the blond if the guards hadn't been ushering them on with such urgency.

Demyx sighed admiringly and almost sadly at Roxas' declaration. A pang of loneliness suddenly sped through him, piercing his heart almost like a speeding arrow, but he merely brushed the feeling off, as they came to a grand ballroom. Just passed it lay the kings' quarters. He felt a great pity for the young mer-prince and his mate, but at least they had someone to care about.

The ballroom itself was huge, much wider in diameter then what the foyer was. The walls were circular and shimmered like liquid light, the ceiling was carved into various elegant rolling wave patterns, almost too perfectly detailed to have been merely carved manually by builders. The floor was tiled with what appeared to be clam shaped sea shells which looked as though they had been vigorously polished, giving them an almost silvery shine. Some were darker then others, whilst others appeared to have a pale bluish tinge to them. The shells had been placed together in a kind of mosaic, to form what appeared to be an underwater garden. Roxas and Axel glanced around in awe, but they didn't have long to admire the décor, as they were quickly ushered into the corridor up ahead passed the ballroom. Grand pearl chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each glowing their own mysterious light; at the far end of the corridor stood a very large doorway rimmed with gold. "Here are the kings' chambers', you must bow before him and only speak when spoken to. Do you understand?" The captain of the castle guards said strictly. Roxas swallowed roughly; his father sounded really strict. Sora noticed his uneasiness "Worry not, he's not that bad, the guards just like to sound official and important." Yuffie overheard and giggled slightly covering her smile with her hand. Roxas smiled meekly feeling a little better, although everyone focused and behaved when Squall glared warningly at them.

Roxas took a deep breath and time almost seemed to slow down as the chamber doors opened ahead of them. He began to shyly swim forward, once again feeling a supportive squeeze on the hand from Axel. They found that the kings' chamber was by far the most magnificent room they had seen. The roof was domed, with beautiful paintings of bright corals, exotic underwater plants of all colours, as well as various sea creatures such as schools of fish, sea turtles and leafy sea dragons swimming amongst them. Unlike the rest of the castle, this chamber seemed to be constructed of smooth pearls, almost as if they had been melted down and cut like marble. Grand tapestries hung from the walls, all of which were weaved out of a fine material almost as delicate as silk, each displaying images of handsome mer-folk decorated with crowns and jewels, some of them seated on grand thrones; they were obviously past members of the royal family. Three beautifully carved thrones sat high up at the end of the magnificently sized room, the head of the thrones carved in smooth wave like patterns similar to those decorating the ballroom ceiling. However, the people sitting on the thrones made Roxas' heart beat furiously with anticipation. He could feel Axel tense up slightly. The sea king sat in the middle throne, his wife to his right, and to his left – _Namine! _The blond thought frantically. He swallowed roughly again as all the possibly raves and insults she might throw at him for taking her away from her real family plagued his thoughts. The sea king looked down at the new arrivals with interest, especially when his eyes locked onto Roxas'. The king, too, had deep ocean blue eyes, and his hair was short blond and spiky, but unlike Roxas', his did not curve over his forehead. Magnificent silver armour embraced his body. His tail was a deep shade of blue, just like his eyes. Axel stared in admiration; clearly he was a great leader and warrior. His arms lay on the arm rests of the thrones, his head leaning on his hand thoughtfully.

The queens' hair was brown and held back by a pink ribbon, two bangs hung down from the side of her face. Her coral pink tail was partly covered by a long pink silk cloak with the collar at the head of it, which fanned out behind the queens' head almost like a peacocks' tail feathers only smaller in size, making her delicate features look more beautiful. White fur trimmed the edges of her cloak, and a beautiful golden necklace supporting a rose red ruby hung around her neck.

To the kings' right sat Namine. She was very fair of skin; small rose petal shaped lips curved into a soft smile when her eyes fell upon the present company. Her eyes were that of a tropical blue ocean and they brightened beautifully when she smiled. Her soft white blond hair trailed down her back, gently waving every now and then as the odd water current brushed through it. She wore an elegant white pleated dress which flowed down to her ankles. A finely patterned corset embraced her tiny waist, reminding Roxas of his human mothers' special dress. Despite having lived in the ocean her whole life, she had still maintained her human form. Roxas found himself blushing slightly as he looked at the mysterious girl, as did Riku, much to the amusement of Sora.

They all bowed respectfully, waiting for the royal family to address them. The king glanced over at everyone, looking thoughtfully at Axel for a while, almost studying the red head, but he found himself drawn to Roxas, and once he met eyes with the blond, he found that he could not tear his gaze away from him. Could this really be his son who he had left on land all those years ago?

If Roxas hadn't been bowing he would have found the kings' intense gaze intimidating

"You may rise" he said briefly; once everyone was looking at him, he gestured to Roxas. "You, come here" Roxas looked uncertainly at Axel, who smiled meekly before letting go of Roxas' hand. Sora had been busy teasingly nudging a now fairly flushed Riku, who scowled at Soras' immaturity, hiding his face behind his long bangs of silver hair, making the brunette chuckle. The guard cleared his throat as a warning to silence him-after all, no-one spoke or acted in such an immature manner when the king was speaking. Sora silenced himself, blushing, making Riku 'hmph' in satisfaction.

Roxas swallowed roughly as he moved forwards, trembling slightly as the royal family gazed at him. "There's' no need to be afraid" the Queen said softly. Roxas was still finding it hard to believe that these grand people were his real parents. He started to wonder what his life would be like if he had been raised here had he been born in normal circumstances.

"They say that he is the young prince, Sire; he has returned" a guard cut in.

"Yes, thank you" the king replied, waving a hand dismissively. He would recognise his son anywhere.

"Roxas?" he asked, unsure whether his human parents had given him a new name.

"Y-yes, Sire, uh-Father" Roxas stammered, momentarily bowing, still unable to refrain from trembling.

"Oh, he's frightened to death" Namine said sympathetically, before gracefully leaving her throne and swimming with equal grace over to Roxas, kicking her feet behind her delicately as she did so, keeping her arms to her sides, her dress flowing around her elegantly. Roxas tensed with nerves as Namine approached him with a kind smile, placing his hand comfortingly into her own. "There's really no need to fret, he's a wonderful king really. I've wanted to meet you for a very long time" she said in a beautifully soft voice, her rosy lips curving into a friendly smile.

Roxas couldn't help but blush again, looking for the first time into his 'sisters' eyes. Riku felt a sudden pang of jealousy as he watched how gentle and tender she was being with Roxas. "Come to me" the King said, not unkindly. Roxas hesitatingly looked at Namine, who nodded encouragingly as Roxas swam up to his father, gently releasing Namines' hand as he did so, much to Rikus' relief.

The prince blushed heavily as he looked into his father's eyes. The king stared intently for a brief moment-yes, those were the same blue eyes he had last seen on a beach many years ago, when he and his queen had bid a very sorrowful fair well to their one and only son. To Roxas' relief he broke into a warm smile. "Our son is finally home!" he exclaimed happily, before he embraced the nervous blond, who cried out slightly at the sudden contact. The king released him from the embrace shortly, but he kept his son at arms length so that he could get a good look at him. He suddenly felt strange for having embraced Roxas in such a manner, but he wanted to see with his two unbelieving eyes that the prince had finally returned. The queen smiled brightly, tears forming in her eyes as she outstretched her arms to embrace her son lovingly, wrapping her tail around him affectionately. Her heart had ached so badly, leaving her child so lost and alone on the beach. She had wanted nothing more then to rush ashore and hold him to her once more and stop him from crying, but the witches' water sprites had already drawn the human couple to him, and it was vital that they remained unseen.

It would have been too early for them to learn about the mer-people. Roxas needed a chance to be accepted in the human world and hopefully grow up to obtain a soul. All she could give him to remind his of his true birthplace and what he must accomplish within the human world where the two pearl rings, one for him, and one for his future soul mate. There was a strong possibility that he would have been rejected by the human couple if they had known of his origins from the start, before having a chance to bond with her baby. More tears flowed from her eyes at the painful memory. "I am _so _happy that you have returned" she said softly, releasing her son from her embrace to look at him as his father had. "Oh, oh Mother, do not cry" Roxas said softly, gently wiping away her tears. He still felt strange referring to her as 'Mother'. The queen smiled meekly, before suddenly remembering the remaining group in the room. Riku sniggered at Sora and Yuffie, who wiped away and emotional tear. "Oh, good gracious, forgive my rudeness" she said hurriedly, wiping away her tears quickly. "So, who might your wonderful, lucky mate be?" she asked, smiling brightly. Roxas blushed again "w-well, in the human word, we-we say _husband" _Roxas began, but he finished his words stuttering nervously, worried that he'd sounded rude to Her Majesty. "B-b-but h-he's h-here Mother" he quickly added, bowing in an apology that he felt he owed, and held an arm out in Axels' direction. Axel suddenly jolted at the sudden acknowledgement. The queen chuckled, not at all offended by Roxas' correction and turned her gaze to the now extremely nervous red head. He bowed automatically. Roxas felt his heart jolt fearfully when he saw the kings' eyes narrow slightly as if in deep thought. Automatically Roxas swam down to his beloved red head, wanting to protect him. He pulled Axel towards him, wrapping his tail around him protectively.

"N-now I know that we-we are both male, b-but he takes good care of me, and he-he is a knight. He has taught me so much. He has even taught me how to sword fight!"

"A knight, oh someone of noble blood, a very honourable occupation, indeed!" The queen smiled approvingly. Axel felt his nerves calm slightly, but his gaze turned to the king once more, uncertain of what his opinion might be. The king still looked thoughtful, watching how protectively they each held onto each other, and the way Roxas rested his head on Axels' chest, his eyes almost pleading. King Cloud's expression softened and he swam down to the couple, followed by the queen. "I can see he means so much to you, although I see grandchildren are out of the question" he chuckled. Everyone except the guards laughed awkwardly. King Cloud placed a hand on Roxas' shoulder. "I am just happy that you have finally found someone". He turned towards Axel; "thank you for taking care of my only son and heir. I hope that you will accept our blessing." Axels' face brightened with relief, Roxas broke into a wide smile. Axel opened his mouth to thank the king for his kindness and understanding, but only just remembered that he still could not speak underwater. The king laughed softly. "Namine, could you please escort our honoured guest to obtain some Aqua Leaf?"

"Certainly Father" Namine smiled, bowing.

"We can finally ask you questions from the human world!" Sora exclaimed happily, throwing his arms up. Riku snorted at the brunette and playfully slapped him behind the head for his childish outburst. "Hey! What was that for?" Sora whined, rubbing the back of his head.

"For being weird" Riku replied simply, smirking at the brunettes' scowling expression.

"Riku, stop being mean to Sora" Namine mockingly scalded, playfully slapping the silver haired mer-teen across the head. "Hey!" Riku exclaimed, but he smiled non- the less. Roxas chuckled; he could see that despite having the role as 'Princess of the Mer People' the group was still as comfortable with each other as equals.

"My love, would it not be wonderful if we were to hold a welcoming congratulatory ball in honour of Roxas and Axel?" Queen Aerith asked her husband, who held his chin in thought.

"I think it may be possible. If the servants begin work now I am sure that we will be able to set up the ball room by this evening, after all, the day is still young".

Axel and Roxas' eyes widened in surprise; would they be required to dance? It had been a long time since Axel had attended a formal gathering and danced with young maidens- as a knight was politely obligated to do so-but Roxas had never danced before in his life, and now especially that he was in mer-form he didn't have the slightest clue. He expressed his concerns timidly, almost as if he would have been scalded for not knowing how.

"Worry not, I shall teach you if you like" Namine said kindly taking Roxas' hand after seeing his worried look. She may have been in human form, but having lived with the mer-folk all her life and having to attend to all of the formal balls being a royal she knew all that there was to know.

"O-of course" Roxas replied shyly. It would also give him a chance to talk to the girl, after all there was so much he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to ask, and he was certain that she would have her own questions about her own biological parents on land. Perhaps even the human word itself would be of interest to her, due to never have seen it for herself. Roxas found it quite sad, both of them belonging to different worlds and yet neither of them had seen or experienced life amongst their own people and were oblivious to the ways of their former societies.

"It will be easier to teach you, Sir Axel, but it shall certainly be fun to teach the young prince" Namine smiled. Axel smiled humorously; now that he had finally met another human in this aquatic world he was beginning to feel a little less isolated, and Namines' playful sense of humour made him feel more at ease. "But first things' first" Namine continued. "We need to get you some Aqua Weed." The group bowed respectfully to the king and queen, before filing out of the royal chambers and making their way down the corridor. The guards had remained with their majesties, so they were free to talk amongst themselves. "Yay! A ball! Now I must find something beautiful to wear" Yuffie grinned, subconsciously looking up at the pearl chandeliers above them. "Think again Yuffie" Squall said sternly. He had only remained with the group to ensure that in all of the excitement of the princes' arrival the younger ones wouldn't cause unnecessary mischief.

"Aww, phooey" Yuffie muttered.

Sora playfully dug his elbow into Riku's ribs "hey, perhaps you can ask Namine for a dance!" he said, only loud enough for Riku to hear. Riku blushed, glancing at Namine, admiring for perhaps the millionth time how gracefully she swam, even with legs, and how her hair flowed beautifully and elegantly around her face as the water currents rippled passed her face as she swam.

"Ask her! She wouldn't mind!" Sora insisted. Riku looked down bashfully as he considered it. "What if-if she says no, and would rather dance with Roxas?" Riku asked his spiky haired friend, unintentionally ending his words quite bitterly.

"She may wish to dance with the prince, yes, but I'm sure she would like to dance with you afterwards. You needn't worry Riku, they have only just met, but even so their relationship is too complicated for them to fall in love, they are almost siblings, sharing the same parents despite complicated circumstances. Anyway, you are forgetting the most important fact-Roxas is already married. I'm sure that Namine is simply being kind to him, there is no reason to get jealous."

"I am not jealous!" Riku protested, slightly louder the he had intended, although his vivid blush proved his words otherwise.

"Shh" Sora said chuckling, placing a finger on his lips for emphasis. He looked around nervously, but everyone appeared to be engrossed in their own conversations. However, when Riku looked away, Namine briefly looked back and smiled a secret smile, before turning away once more.

They had passed though the ballroom and down a smaller hallway where the kitchens were. Roxas felt his stomach grumble, and started to wonder what kinds of food the mer-people ate. Did they eat sea creatures as humans ate cattle, or like him did they find it hard to kill other living things for food as he did before years of fishing with his human father? "I can see that you're also hungry, well, you've come to the right place!" Sora said happily, the idea of food also appealing to him.

"Yeah, corals' sponge cakes are to die for!" Yuffie added excitedly, clasping her hands together in anticipation of receiving the delicious deserts.

"They're not made out of real sponges are they?" Roxas asked wearily. He really didn't fancy eating something made out of a strange squishy plant like animal. Yuffie and Namine laughed. "No silly! They're called sponge cakes because they're round and softly textured" Yuffie explained, laughing at the princes' naivety. A look of relief washed over Roxas face, although his cheeks now had a pink tinge. Axel hummed humorously at his lovers' cute embarrassed face. The end of the hallway opened out to a very large kitchen. Although to the mer-folk it was a simply yet spacious area to prepare food, to Roxas it was an outstanding luxurious room, compared to his very simple table area in his small house. His eyes gazed around the room impressed buy its size, looking at the many sea vegetable like foods hanging down from the ceiling in nets. Thick marble like counters bordered the room, with a long table standing horizontally in the middle of it. Large stoves heated by natural underwater geysers sat at the end of the room. Strangely shaped cutlery and preparation knives littered different areas of the kitchen tops, as mer-folk swam around preparing food. A red headed mer woman with a salmon pink tail covered with a white apron hummed to herself as she carried out something in a container from one of the ovens. She lifted the lid allowing a flurry of bubbles to escape as she did so, and she leaned forward slightly to smell the food. She took a tea spoon and tasted the food she had obviously just prepared. "Hmm, requires a little more sea salt" she muttered, taking a slate bowl next to her and adding her ingredients. _'How much more sea salt could she possible need?' _Roxas thought bewildered. After all, they were in the ocean.

"Coral, we have someone we would like you to meet" Yuffie called out, making the addressed mer woman jump in surprise, accidentally tipping her bowl of sea salt over the table. "Wha- oh my goodness! Yuffie, I told you to knock before you entered my kitchen! Now look, I've spilled the salt!" she scalded, picking up a pinch of salt from the table and throwing it over her shoulder. "Heh, my Mother does that too, to ward off bad luck" Roxas chuckled, before meeting Namines' eyes and suddenly feeling guilty. "I-I- uh, mean our Mother-uh-your Mother-uh-I mean-"

"It's alright" Namine said with an understanding smile. We can talk about it later?" She asked hopefully. Roxas nodded with a smile.

"Now, what do you want?" Coral asked in exasperation, wiping her hands onto her apron. "Allow us to introduce the one and only prince Roxas!" Yuffie said, bowing as she held out an arm towards said blond, who blushed and waved awkwardly. Every mer-person in the kitchen stopped what they had been doing and stared at the prince, whose blush darkened. He would have timidly hid behind Axel, but he didn't want to appear childish in front of his people. He couldn't help but shift over to the red head slightly though. Corals' eyes bulged from her sockets, before she quickly flustered about, wiping down her apron as if suddenly self conscious of food stains or creases on the material, and she brushed down her wavy hair with her hands, pulling it round her shoulder in an attempt to make it look more presentable. She, along with every other mer-person in the kitchen bowed down to the prince. "My-my goodness, such honourable company, forgive me Sire. Are you here to request a meal? Would you perhaps like some sea weed and shrimp, or a sponge soufflé?" As she was speaking the kitchen staff began to frantically rush around preparing all kinds of different foods that the young prince might like to try. "Oh, please, do not trouble yourselves so" Roxas said timidly; although the sound of those particular foods didn't sound appealing anyway.

"We only came in here for some of your famous sponge cakes" Yuffie chimed. The chefs automatically ceased in their cooking, and once again turned their attention to the group. "I-I was just feeling a little peckish, um, Y-Yuffie recommended your cakes, so, um, that's why we came, b-but please, now that you have started you may carry on, perhaps we shall enjoy the food at dinner. I-I would not want you to waste your ingredients". Roxas still didn't particularly fancy the types of foods the chefs had begun to make, but neither did he want to be wasteful of precious ingredients. After all, he did come from a home where food was hard earned, and waste would have brought them at a great disadvantage for other days. "Oh, worry not young prince, if it is sponge cakes that you desire, then sponge cakes it shall be" Coral said. Immediately the chefs disposed of the meals that they had begun to prepare and they started a fresh. Roxas stared forlornly at the food, which had been sucked down a shaft leading into an underwater current which quickly sucked all of the wasted items away and out of sight. The shafts were covered by mini boulders to cover the suction. "Worry not Roxas, the food goes to the fish and other creatures that often live outside the palace. They mostly make their homes here because of the plentiful resources. Food does not go to waste." Namine said softly, gently resting a hand on Roxas' arm.

In all the excitement, poor Axels' desire for Aqua Weed had been forgotten. He gently placed a hand on his lovers' shoulder to gain his attention. Roxas turned and Axel placed his fingers to his throat. His lovers' eyes widened in realisation and guilt tore through him. "Oh, yes, how selfish of me" he said, feeling bad for forgetting the main reason for his visit to the kitchens in the first place. He planted an apologetic kiss on the red heads' lips, receiving a forgiving smile before he turned to Coral. "Please, before you begin baking, could you bring me some Aqua Weed for my husband? He has not been able to speak a word since we have arrived".

"Your husband?" Coral said, looking at Axel like one would when seeing a new kind of animal for the first time. "Well, I _was _wondering who this charming human was" she looked at Axel in an approving manner. "Such a fine choice my prince, he is most handsome". Axel looked away feeling awkward; he was starting to feel like a prize pedigree horse surrounded by potential buyers who were constantly studying him. Sora seemed to sense this, and patted Axels' shoulder sympathetically. The red head smiled meekly in gratitude.

Coral snapped out of her dazed state "of course, forgive my rudeness Sir" she said, before swimming over to a shelf filled with different shaped and coloured jars, each marked with a specific label. She returned shortly with what looked like a clear jam jar filled with sea grass. Axel frowned slightly, looking at the unpleasant weed as a child would look when being forced to eat their most hated vegetable. However he didn't want to seem rude or ungrateful, so he took the plant and swallowed it as quickly as he could to prevent the taste from lingering in his mouth. He had no idea how merely eating a water plant would enable him to speak, but if he could accept that he was currently in the catering department in the royal castle of the mer-people then he was willing to believe anything. "Do not worry, its' not so bad after a while" Namine chuckled. Obviously she had been eating this for her whole life. "The longer you stay here the less often you have to eat it, but you will get used to it". After a couple of minutes Sora asked "so, say something".

"Axel, can you speak?" Roxas asked hopefully. Said red head flushed slightly as all eyes of his small group were bearing into him. He cleared his throat nervously, holding a hand almost as if he had a sore throat and said in a husky voice "I-It is very nice to be able to speak again." Everyone laughed, causing the red head to smile sheepishly. "Now we shall not need to play charades" Roxas teased, happily wrapping his arms around his husbands neck and pressing his cheeks against his in a cute congratulatory hug, which the red head retuned, laughing softly, his voice no longer as husky as what it was. "My, this shall certainly make my time here much easier; I was beginning to forget what my voice sounded like. The group laughed again. Roxas kissed the side of his husbands' mouth "its' good to hear it again" he said happily. Axel smiled and turned to face him, leaning forward narrowing his eyes slightly. Roxas took the hint and closed the gap, pressing his lips against Axels' for a brief tender kiss.

"He will never be able to speak if you constantly seal his lips" Riku teased.

"Riku!" Sora scalded, slapping his friends arm for being rude to the prince. The silver haired teen didn't mean to sound rude, but Sora could be so melodramatic about things sometimes. Everyone worried for a brief moment, wondering if Rikus' words had offended their prince, but instead the blond merely parted from Axel and said "apologies, but can you really blame me? Resisting temptation when such a handsome man requests for a kiss; how could I possibly say no?" everyone breathed a sigh of relief and laughed softly at the princes' reply.

"Here we are your highness, the first batch of sponge cakes" a chef said, bowing in front of Roxas as he presented him with a tray of soft beige coloured sponge cakes. The aroma coming from them was truly mouth watering. Roxas was surprised at how quickly the first batch had been completed, but he guessed that the intense heat of the underwater geysers had helped. He assumed that Coral-as head chief- had passed one her skills to the others, perhaps in case she was absent from the kitchens. Roxas took one of the cakes and upon noticing his companions hungry eyes he said "oh, please, take one, I do not wish to selfishly eat alone"; he noticed that not even Namine had taken a cake. "Well, if you insist" Sora said, grabbing one of the treats and taking a bite. "Now who's being rude?" Riku smirked, also taking a cake, but with more polite mannerisms them Sora; everyone else followed suit. Roxas' eyes widened happily as he took a bite of his cake. It was very light, considering it had been made underwater. His human mother had never been able to bake them treats often-actually it was quite rare that she did as sugar was a costly ingredient- but here they were, sugary sweet and soft, a mourish treat. A different chief soon swam over to them with yet another batch of freshly baked sponge cakes, the aroma tantalising Roxas' taste buds. He excitedly took another cake as did everyone else in his group. Upon finishing, Roxas gave a satisfied sigh and said "ah, yes, that certainly filled a hole; thank you".

"Oh, I'm so glad you think so!" the chef exclaimed happily at receiving gratitude from the prince. Just then a guard came into the kitchen and mumbled something to Squall. He turned to Roxas and bowed apologetically. "Forgive me Sire, but I am required back in the Royal Chamber" Roxas blushed slightly. He wasn't used to people bowing and asking permission for things. He hadn't been here for fourteen years, he didn't see why people had to feel obligated to respect and obey him to such a great extent now. "I-I-uh, that is fine" he said timidly. They watched as Squall and the guard left, then Yuffie smiled an almost impish smile and said "now we can have some fun!" She took Roxas by the hand and dragged the poor bewildered prince out of the kitchen. He just managed to wave at Coral and the other chefs and yell "thank you for the cakes" before he disappeared out of the kitchen all together. "I was wondering how long it would be before Yuffie kidnapped him for her devious mischief" Demyx chuckled.

"Poor Roxas" Namine said with an amused yet sympathetic smile.

"Rescue mission!" Sora exclaimed, pumping his fist up in a determined manner before following the other two out of the door, dragging Demyx and Riku out with him. "I'm sure that the prince wouldn't be too happy if we allowed his husband to get lost in the castle" Namine chuckled, gently taking Axels' hand as they both swam out of the kitchen to try and catch up with the others.

"Roxas certainly is shy" Coral said to one of her chefs, who nodded in agreement. "I do hope that they don't overwhelm him too much."


End file.
